A Million Stories
by blueroses18
Summary: [SYOC CLOSED] Prince Maddox has spent his life hiding in his stories. They don't include a deluded father with his ever-present lover, an alcoholic mother with her ever-diminishing sanity, or an impromptu Selection that forces him to face all of that. After two years of hiding in his own stories, he'll have to watch all of their stories unfold, and more.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

 _Love is blind_

 _Love can tell a million stories_

 _Love is unkind_

 _Spiteful in a million ways_

* * *

 _ **Paris, France**_

 _ **Friday, September 28; 8:30 pm**_

 _Dear Nepal,_

 _Eventually they're all going to realize that I'm not actually writing to a penpal in Nepal. However, I don't think that I'm quite ready to expose our relationship as that of a grown-ass 20 year old man and his diary just yet. I'm sure you understand. You are, after all, me._

 _I thought that I'd quickly jot down a couple of ideas I had for another story today before they leave me and I'm once again left to reality. Not a lot, but a couple of quickies that I had sitting in class today:_

 _Divorcee birds who falls in love with each other after one's nest is beat out of a tree_

 _A spirit who lives in the woods and inspires authors to write stories about the woods_

 _Woman imprisoned and forced to write beautiful love letters for the King to give to women - love letters so inspirational, make everyone fall in love with king - imprisoned woman writes letter to King that inspires him to set her free and then kill himself_

 _The last one's pretty morbid, but I'm kind of proud of it. Thought of it while reading a hallmark card in in the grocery store. I swear, if I ever meet the person who writes those, I might just fall in love with them myself._

 _The one that I got for Brennan is perfect. It's huge, too, so I could write a lot in it. I'll definitely beat her this year for best birthday card-_

"Maddox! Finish up with your diary so that we can finally leave!" The boy's face reddened.

"It's a penpal, Eden, not a diary!" Maddox's voice hardened as he shouted down to his friend, hoping that it sounded more convincing to her than it did to him.

"I don't care if you're pals with your pen! Just get your ass down here so that we can leave! I promise _Nepal,"_ she shouted that last word sarcastically, "will be there when we get back!"

Maddox groaned and threw down his pen, reluctantly tucking the silk bookmark of his journal into the pages. Slipping on his sports jacket, he jogged down the marble stairs of the penthouse to meet Eden, his roommate. She was dressed skimpily in a low-cut, red silk slip with strappy red stilettos to match. Her golden blonde hair tumbled down her shoulder in waves, and her painted red lips defaulted into a pout as she gazed blankly down at her phone.

When she looked up, her eyes brightened and she smiled. "Thank God. Took you long enough." Maddox rolled his eyes as he sat down on the couch to slip on his shoes.

"Please. This is just your pay back for all the times I had to scream bloody murder just to get you to class on time."

"And I'm thoroughly enjoying it."

"Of course you are."

As Maddox finished tying his shoes, he looked up and realized that one member of their party was still not there.

"Where's Vivien? Is she not coming with us?"

Vivien was their other roommate, and also Maddox's cousin. She was usually the first person in their penthouse to be ready, and they all hated her for it. Well, not really hated. It was hard to hate Vivien, being the golden girl that she was.

Eden shook her head. "No, she's just gonna meet us there. Allegra asked for her help setting up, and being Viv, she just couldn't say no."

"Makes sense." Allegra was Eden's older sister, and they were supposed to be heading to the launch party for her new cosmetics line tonight. It was being held in a little hole-in-the-wall art museum that Vivien loved, so naturally she was all over going.

Maddox, Eden, and Vivien had all moved to Paris to go to school two years ago. It was hard for Vivien, who had never lived anywhere but Illea, but Maddox and Eden had taken to it like fish to water. Maddox had always dreamed of moving away from his family and going off to college in a completely different part of the world, and Eden had always wanted to go with him. Her mother was the Illean Ambassador to France, and her other mother was a fashion designer, so it was only natural that she should feel at home in the city. At first, when Maddox moved there, he thought that the initial thrill couldn't possibly last. It was too good to be true.

But it did. It had lasted for two years, and he couldn't get enough of it. Sure, he had left his sister back at home, and Sebastian, but he had also left all his problems. And anyway, they would still be there when he got back. In the meantime, he was going to enjoy the city of love and lights, and milk it for all it was worth.

"Did Apollo go with her? Or is he not going at all," Maddox asked, checking his watch. Right about now, Eden's 19 year old brother, Apollo, should be getting stoned outside in the seat of his Porsche 550 Spyder, waiting for someone to "force him" to go to Allegra's party, when he probably would have gone anyway. For a boy who tried his damndest to be rebellious and unpredictable, he sure was pretty easy to predict.

"I already got him. He's waiting in the car outside," she held her finger up when Maddox tried to interrupt her, "and don't worry - a made sure the windows are down, so we shouldn't smell like pot the entire night."

Just as they were about to head out, Maddox felt a buzzing in his pocket. Eden checked her watch, but made a gesture like "go ahead" anyway, and stuck out her hip while he answered his phone.

"Bash, hey."

" _Maddy!"_ The voice of Sebastian Donovan, Maddox's best friend, rang through the speakerphone. " _Jesus, I was scared I wouldn't catch you."_

"How you been buddy? I'm about to head out, so is there something you need?" He looked at Eden and gave her the thumbs up like, "look at how responsible I'm being." She rolled her eyes and gave him a soft applause.

" _Um, yeah, actually. Well, not something that_ I _need, but something that I need to_ tell you _. It's about your parents and… you know..."_ Sebastian cleared his throat on the other end, and Maddox could tell that something was wrong. But he couldn't deal with this right now. He had somewhere to be, and some time to kill before he had to go back and face _them._

"Sebastian I can't deal with this right now. I'll be home tomorrow and you can tell me then. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing that hasn't already happened." Maddox closed his eyes as he said the last part. This is the last thing he wanted to think about tonight. That was for tomorrow. He could deal with it _tomorrow._ Tonight was his last night of freedom, and he intended to enjoy it.

" _Maddox, trust me, you want to hear what I have to say-"_

"If it has to do with my family, then no. No I do not. That is tomorrow's problem, and I can deal with it then. I'll see you tomorrow, man."

" _No, wait-"_

But Maddox had already hung up before he could finish. Letting out a deep sigh, he stuffed his phone into his back pocket and turned back around to face Eden, who was looking at him with concerned eyes.

"Is everything ok? Maybe you should call him back," she said softly, walking over to touch his shoulder. Maddox smiled back at her gratefully, but shrugged her off. "No," he said, "I meant it. I don't want to think about them tonight. I just want to enjoy spending time with you," he nudged her and she smiled, "and Viv. And I want to enjoy Paris for one last night before I have to go back and face the music." He offered his arm to her.

"Shall we?" Eden blushed profusely, but took the arm that Maddox offered her.

"We shall," she replied, and they headed off, minds free of tomorrow's worries.

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Illea**_

 _ **Saturday, September 29; 10:47 am**_

When the plane's wheels touched down on the runway, Maddox felt an enormous weight that he had lived without for two years crash back down onto his shoulders with a vengeance. Eden seemed to sense it too, because she nestled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It'll be ok," she whispered. But he wasn't sure.

"It's your sister's birthday. At least least you have that to distract you," Vivien's voice came from across the cabin. She was looking at him sympathetically with those big brown eyes that always had a way of making him feel better. Her long legs were crossed elegantly at the heel, and while one slender hand lay daintily acorss her lap, the other toyed with her thick chestnut hair. She looked just like her mother and his own, but the light dusting of freckles across her nose was something that he too shared. And yet, even in her jean shorts, sandals, and blousy button down, she still looked more like royalty than he had ever felt.

"Yeah, or I have something to distract him, Viv," Apollo's voice carried from the next cabin over as he appeared in the doorway. It was amazing how much one person could change so much in just two years. Apollo, the little kid who used to ask Maddox for his help on homework; Apollo, the kid who used to hold Vivien's place as the first person to everything; Apollo, who was the golden boy for 17 years until he decided to come with them to Paris. It's not like they themselves had corrupted him - or the city. Maddox never wanted to blame the city. Apollo had made his own choices, and if they made him into an asshole, so be it. Maddox just didn't have to help him with his homework anymore.

"You better not let mom see you with any of that shit. Or mama for that matter. They're both going to be here tonight, you know." Eden gave her brother a patronizing look, but he simply flicked his eyes and sat down in the seat next to Vivien, who always seemed to feel comfortable in his presence, even when no one else was. Maddox sighed, not caring anymore for Apollo's presence.

"I can't believe I haven't seen Brennan in a year… and even then it was just two days for Christmas. I missed her birthday last year, you know."

"Yeah… I remember… you got drunk and started crying in the middle of the club about how bad of a brother you were. And then you thought the girl you were making out with was Brennan and started shouting ' _INCEST'_ in the streets." Eden gave him a wry smile, which he returned.

"I remember that," Vivien piped in, laughing, "it was in the papers for weeks!"

"Yeah, I got quite an earful from mom about that… at least Brennan knew I didn't forget about her on her birthday." Maddox looked out the window to see the private runway that they were heading down. If there was one thing that he _did_ miss about this place, it was his little sister, Brennan. She was turning 17 today, and he wanted to do everything in his power to make it as special for her as humanly possible.

As the plane came to a stop and they began gathering their things, Maddox began to freeze up. They were right out there. All of them. Well, maybe not _all_ of them, but certainly not people that he wanted to see. The only comfort that he had was Brennan.

 _Brennan's going to be out there. You're doing this for Brennan. Brennan. Brennan. Brennan._

"MADDOX!"

"BRENNAN!"

The sight of his little sister stuned Maddox for a minute, because tube top and oversized sunglasses were not what he was expecting from his baby sister, but it was still her, and he dropped all of his bags to hug her like he never wanted to let go. Because he didn't.

"I missed you so much," she whispered in his ear. She was still shorter than him - about 5'3 to his 6'2 - so he just picked her up off the ground, making her kick around in the Chanel heels she was wearing. "Ditto."

When he set her down, it was like looking at a new person. Her blonde hair was cut to her chin and her pouty lips were painted red, just like Eden's always were. Her heart shaped face and high cheekbones, which used to make her look more like a porcelain doll, now made her look like a high fashion model. She was as skinny and tiny as ever, but she made up for it with the high heels she was wearing - and yet she still didn't reach his chin.

"When the hell did you grow up? I didn't give you permission to do that," he ruffled her hair like he used to do with the were young and she squirmed to fix it.

"Yeah, well, two years is a long time. When you left, I still had little lumps. Now, I have proper boobs!" She smirked mischievously and he cringed. "I was not ready to hear that," he complained. She laughed wildly and gave him another hug.

Looking back up at him, her chin on his chest, she gave him that twinkly eyed smile that he loved so much, and when she took off her sunglasses, her doe eyes made him do a double take.

"You're a woman. You're a goddamn woman," Maddox sighed and brought her in for another hug. When he did, he looked over her shoulder and saw two people that he was hoping would just forget about him like he had them: his parents.

His mother, Queen Donatella, look teary eyed just standing there. She got teary eyed at everything really. The poor woman stood there looking helpless, and he wanted desperately to make it all better for her, but knew he couldn't. His father, and namesake, King Maddox, stood awkwardly next to her, not sure whether he should step in and say hello or not. The sight of him made Maddox's toes curl, and his heart bounce up to his throat.

But there was one person missing. The one person who Maddox had prayed, to every deity and fate out there, wouldn't show. The one person who had made this day a fear of Maddox's for the months that he had known he would visit. The prince breathed a sigh of relief, and considered going over to say hi, just to ask if that one person was gone for good, or just for the afternoon. Before he could decide, Sebastian's car pulled up alongside the party, and his best friend stepped out. Eager to distract himself, Maddox pulled Brennan into his side with one arm and waved to Sebatian with the other.

"Sebastian!" His friend ran over from the car, platinum blonde hair waving in the wind from beneath his trademark fedora. He looked like the absolute paragon of leisure, with his sleeves rolled up beyond his toned biceps, and linen joggers rolled up to match. Somehow, he always managed to look positively urban, even when that meant he looked like a hobo. Sebastian removed his shades as he came in for a hug.

"So are you officially French now," he asked, grinning, "Have we lost you forever?"

"Nah my accent is still intact. Although I now have an odd preference for very small cups of coffee."

"No! You're officially a French man!" Sebastian's grin faded ever so slightly when he saw who was looking at him intently.

"Hey Birthday Girl," he said with a more forced smile, leaning in to kiss Brennan's cheek, "You look so much older."

"You saw me yesterday, Bash," the princess said, her voice a bit tight.

"Well it feels like years."

"It actually has been years for me," Maddox joked, sensing a dimming of the mood,"So hey, Sebastian, what was it you needed to tell me yesterday?" Sebastian looked back to his friend, his eyes previously on Brennan. His face went limp for a second before his smile returned, and he stuttered for a second. "Um, well, actually I can't-"

"Sebastian!" Vivien's voice pierced the tension and Sebastian's eyes lit up at the sight of the chestnut haired beauty. He rushed forward and enveloped her in a hug almost as tight as the one Maddox had just given Brennan. Beneath his arm, he could feel his sister shiver faintly.

"It's been ages," Vivien breathed into Sebastian's shoulder, "I can't believe it's been two years!"

"Don't ever leave me for that long again, woman," Sebastian growled, and hugged her tighter. The two had been close friends for as long as time had plagued the earth. It had been strange for Maddox to speak to them separately for the two years that they were in Paris. Sebastian asked about her almost every time he called.

"God, you look great," Sebastian breathed, stepping back to look at her, "And you're taller! How could you get taller? You're like a tree now!"

"I'm still not as tall as you!"  
"And thank the lord for that," Sebastian chuckled, bringing her in for another hug. His urgent news forgotten, Sebastian became completely enveloped in Vivien's presence alone.

"It's good to see them together again," Maddox said, looking back down at his sister. But she wasn't looking at him. "Yeah… yeah it is," she whispered, tearing her eyes away from the two, and forcing a smile as she looked back up at her big brother. "Come on," she tugged at his shirt, "you have to at least acknowledge them." Maddox heaved a deep breath.

"I did acknowledge them. I looked at them over your shoulder."

"With your voice. With eye contact. Don't tell me you forgot your etiquette when you were galavanting all across the City of Pastries."

"Lights. It's the City of Lights. Or love, if you're really feeling sentimental."

"Same difference - now come on," Brennan dragged him across the runway to the unfortunate couple that awaited them.

"Mom," Maddox smiled tightly as he went to kiss the crying woman on the cheek. She surged forward in a wave of emotion and clutched him tightly.

" _Ma-ma-maddox, love,"_ she cried, trying to get her breathing under control, " _You ca-came."_

"Yeah mom, I came. It's good to see you."

" _Maddox,"_ she scolded, her voice sobering, "I thought I taught you not to lie." Maddox gave a reluctant chuckle as he released her. His father was staring intently at the pair. His gaze was expectant, and his extended arms a bit too obvious for Maddox's taste, but he hugged his father irregardless. It was awkward, but it had to be done.

"I'm glad you're here, son," the King said tentatively after releasing the prince. Maddox nodded. "Me too."

The King's eyes crinkled at the edges- evidence of his ever-advancing age. Oddly enough, they seemed to be smile lines, which was strange to Maddox considering he had barley ever seen his father smile. If he did smile, it was either forced or tentative, just like the look he was giving his son now. It used to be real- back when Maddox would return the smile. Nowadays he just avoided the King's gaze altogether.

"Come on," his father said, jerking his head back towards the awaiting limousine, "It's time we get home. We still have a birthday ball to set up for." He gave Brennan a doting smile, which to Maddox's surprise, she returned. As the King walked off, clearly expecting everyone else to follow, Maddox gave his sister a questioning look

"What," she said defensively. Maddox shook his head, but didn't say anything. It was going to be a long trip if he got on bad terms with his sister, so if she wanted to be buddy-buddy with their father, he wasn't going to question it. Heaving an enormous breath that he didn't know he had been holding, he cautiously looked back at his hiccuping mother, who seemed to know what he was about to ask.

"Is… is he…?" Maddox allowed a hint of hope into his voice as he spoke. But his mother sighed.

"Gone?" Maddox nodded.

"No, darling. He's not." And with that, she laced her own arm through his, and let him lead her back towards the car, where the King was waiting for the rest of the party to file in. Suddenly, Maddox remembered something.

"EDEN," he called, looking back, "Are you coming?" The blonde who had been standing there patiently with her little brother, watching everything unfold, smiled gratefully at Maddox, and jogged up to catch him. The Queen watched the two with sad eyes, but when Eden jogged up alongside them and took Maddox's other arm, she smiled again, and walked with the two to the car in silence.

* * *

The party was in full swing by the time Maddox got there, and it looked like Kinky Boots had invaded Downton Abbey. It was a strange world to see: The King and Queen's friends mingling with Brennan's. Brennan had always been interested in fashion, and it had only gotten more intense as she had gotten older, but this was madness. He recognized most of the guests from his time at

Paris Fashion Week, but there were some people that he barely recognized. They were probably new designers or models that Brennan had met at one of the freelance shows she attended. She had this dream of discovering the next Coco Chanel - her favorite designer.

"It's like they just walked out of Rocky Horror Picture Show… except they're beautiful," Eden said, gawking at the people strutting around her. Eden was a model, so if this crowd surprised her, then it had to be special.

"No one ever accused Brennan of being predictable." A woman with a metal cage for a skirt walked past them, and Maddox realized that there was a bird sitting on one of the bars.

"Or boring," came a voice behind him. Maddox turned to see his baby sister, standing there in a stunning, rose colored gown, looking more grown up than he'd ever imagined possible. Her platinum blonde bob was straightened, and her full lips were painted nude. The bodice of her dress was a sheer fabric that seemed to be dripping jewels onto the full tulle skirt. It was classy, stunning, and more beautiful than anything Maddox had ever seen his sister in. For a split second too long, he was rendered speechless. Brennan blushed. "Thank you."

Maddox sputtered. "Wha-um, I'm sorry, I didn't say anything…"

"You didn't have to. Your gawking was all I needed," she said, giving him a teasing grin, "Come on. Walk me around the room - let everyone admire me." Maddox chuckled, but offered her his arm and gave a silent "see you" to Eden, who responded with a tiny wave and disappeared into the crowd.

"So, tell me, what trouble have you gotten yourself into while I've been gone," Maddox said, grabbing two drinks off a tray and handing one to Brennan, "any guys?" Brennan rolled her eyes.

"I am definitely not answering THAT. It's my birthday - I don't want to be judged."

"I'm not gonna judge you!"

"Oh, yeah, _ok,"_ Brennan mocked sarcastically, "What if I told you there _was_ a guy." Maddox shrugged.

"I'd say that's good for you," he replied, taking a sip of his drink.

"And that he's my 35 year old married tutor."  
It took every ounce of self control that Maddox possessed to not spew his drink all over Brennan's birthday gown. " _He's what?"_

"See, I knew you would be judgmental!"

"So you _are_ dating your tutor?"  
"No dumbass! I made that up!" Maddox had to stop himself before he gave a sigh of relief.

"Well, um if you were," he started in a less than convincing tone, "I would be _completely_ supportive." Brennan looked at him dryly, as if daring him to say it again. He broke quickly.

"Ok, no, I wouldn't, but that's my job as your big brother! To question every questionable decision you make and then say 'I told you so' after you've already done it." He gave her a quirky smile and she rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink.

Over in the corner, Sebastian and Vivien caught his eye. The two were in deep conversation, giggling like a couple of 12 year olds. But something was different… or maybe it wasn't. Maybe it had always been like that; maybe _they_ were always like that. But to Maddox, the way Sebastian was looking at Vivien was completely new territory.

"Hey," he nudged Brennan, "check out those two." When he nodded his head towards the pair, Brennan glanced for a split second, but quickly looked away.

"Yeah," she said, gazing into her champagne glass as if she had just seen something remarkably interesting floating in the bubbly, "Maybe now he'll stop whining about her all the time."

Maddox eyed at his sister skeptically. He was suddenly reminded of that moment on the runway between Sebastian and his sister: the strained interaction- her refusal to look at Vivien. It was almost as if…

"Is something going on between you and Sebastian?"

Now it was Brennan's turn to hold her drink in. Blushing profusely, she turned to a waiter and practically snatched a napkin from his tray to wipe her face. Keeping her face hidden behind said napkin, she replied with a high pitched laugh, " _Me and Sebastian?_ God, no!"

That confirmed it. Maddox wanted desperately to question her further, but considering the conversation they had just had regarding her personal life and his tendency towards judgment, he figured it wasn't the right time. _But holy shit._

Sebastian and his sister… it clearly wasn't mutual, considering the way that Sebastian was acting towards Vivien, but Maddox was sure that he knew. Sebastian wasn't stupid- and it explained his behavior around Brennan when he saw her on the runway. It all made sense… but why? What was going on between them? Had so much really changed in the two years that he had been gone?

 _Well, not_ that _much has changed,_ said a voice in his head. Right. Of course. _He_ was still lurking about.

"Ok," Maddox said, trying to calm his sister, and on some level, himself, "Whatever. I just thought I saw something." Brennan's blush deepened to the rose shade of her dress, and she knew that he was just trying to console her, but she also knew better than to push it.

"Yeah… it's ok…. That would be weird."

"Yeah, it would be." And with that, they both took a long swig of their drinks.

The strolled around the party for somewhere around an hour, talking to old friends, and being introduced to new ones. They danced and chatted and got caught up on the two years that they had missed together. Maddox hadn't realized how much he had missed his sister until she was sitting right in front of him. At times, he would find himself thinking, "I can't leave her; I can't leave this." But then he would catch himself, and look across the room to where his father was talking to some politician or other and remember why he wanted to leave in the first place.

"He isn't here yet," his sister interrupted his thoughts suddenly while they were dancing. Maddox didn't think it was worth refuting. He _was_ looking for… him, but it was hard to admit now that he knew that he was still there. Maddox also didn't want to comment on the fact that Brennan had said "yet".

"How do you know," Maddox questioned dryly, looking back down at his sister. She looked him dead in the eye and said, "Because he would have come to say Happy Birthday to me."

Maddox snorted. "I didn't know the two of you were on suh friendly terms."

"We've been on friendly terms for a long time now." Maddox's eyebrows off his forehead. He looked back at his sister, utterly stunned. That was meant to be a joke.

" _What?"_ His sister didn't reply, instead looking to the doors. "See," she said suddenly, "There he is now - coming to congratulate me."  
Maddox's head swiveled furiously in the direction that Brennan had nodded and his breath hitched. There he was.

Sullivan "Sully" Marlowe was walking towards them at a leisurely pace, practically strutting through the room to where they stood, as if it was his home instead of Maddox's. He was dressed impeccably in a burgundy tux, with a matching polka dotted bow tie and handkerchief poking out of his coat pocket. His downturned eyes crinkled at the edges with smile lines that looked strikingly similar to Maddox's own father's, and his dark hair was gelled back so that he looked more stylish than the prince himself. He was fixing his cufflinks casually as he strolled towards them, and the air he exuded was so genuinely suave and confident that it only made Maddox loathe him more. But, before the prince could even register what was going on, Sully had halted right in front of them and was smiling so broadly and brilliantly in front of his sister that you would think he was her father. "Happy Birthday, kid."

It was like a silent movie. Maddox watched everything unfold in slow motion right before his eyes.

She smiled.

She laughed.

She hugged him.

He kissed her cheek.

They stood there together laughing and talking as if they were old friends; as if he wasn't an intruder; as if this wasn't the man who had torn apart their family and ruined his mother's life; as if this wasn't the man that Maddox had run off to Paris to be away from.

"Hello, Maddox. It's good to see you again."

Maddox blinked, but didn't say anything. What could he?

"Um, how was Paris? I've been a couple times and I always thought you'd li-"

"What are you doing here?" Sully looked caught off guard, but not offended. He had probably expected something like this, but Maddox didn't care. It didn't matter to him if he was predictable, or if he made Sully uncomfortable. It didn't matter to him. His sister, however, did.

Brennan hit him hard in the arm, seething. " _Apologize. Now,"_ she growled through clenched teeth. Maddox's eyes widened at his sister's behavior.

" _Why?"_ She hit him again. "Because you were rude," she said, her voice still dangerous, "And it's my Birthday, so what I say goes." Maddox was dumbfounded, but before he could say more, another voice entered the conversation.

"Sully! For a minute there I thought that you wouldn't show up," his father's voice entred jovially into the conversation, but sobered when he realized who Sully was with.

"Maddox… you were uh- did I, erm," he stuttered and looked to Brennan for help, which she supplied.

"Sully was just wishing me Happy Birthday, and telling Maddox about the time he spent in Paris," she said smoothly, not giving her brother a single glance. Maddox could hardly comprehend what was happening. Sully looked at him for just a second while all of this was happening, and that was it. He couldn't handle anymore.

"I'm gonna go find Eden," he said out of the blue, and left. Brennan tried to protest, but he just kept walking. This was worse than what he had imagined- which was saying something. The prospect of seeing his father's lover again had been his major fear for the past few months, but that had always been dimmed by the fact that he was going to see his sister as well. But he had never, _ever_ even _considered_ the possibility that his sister might not actually be on his side in this war- that she might actually _like_ Sully. It was too much for him to handle, and it only got worse when he found his mother: hiding in the hallway outside, pitifully nursing a silver flask as she leaned against the bannister like a child clutching her mother's skirts.

"Mom," Maddox breathed, rushing to her side, "What happened?"

" _Maddy,"_ his mother rejoiced in a high pitched voice, "Oh my beautiful _bootiful_ boy! How I've missed you so-sooooo much." She fell over and clutched his shoulders to stand. She had been crying, he observed, for her face was painted with tear stains and smeared mascara. Her lipstick was faded from the amount of times that she had kissed the bottle to her lips, and the sleeves of her silver gown were falling from her shoulders. In short, she was a mess.

Maddox snatched the flask out of her hands, despite her protests, and sniffed the contents. "Whiskey mom? Really? The depression drink?" The Queen pouted as she made a poor attempt to snatch the flask back, consequently making herself fall to the ground as Maddox kept it out of her reach. "Ow!" Maddox sighed and picked her up. This is what his mother had been reduced to- sucking whiskey out of a glass and sobbing her soul out in the hallway outside of her own daughter's birthday party. It _enraged_ him.

"Don't worry, mom. I'll get you out of here," he whispered. Suddenly, he heard the click of heels echo down the hallway, and before he knew it, Eden had appeared from behind the stairs.

"Maddox, I saw you leave. What's going o- shit, Your Majesty? Maddox what the he-"

"Shhhh," Maddox whispered, gesturing for her to come closer, "Get her other arm. We need to get her out of here." Eden nodded, a little stunned, but acted quickly. Together, they practically dragged the queen to the private royal elevator and did their best to keep her quiet the whole way there.

"You're so pretty," the Queen mused, playing with Eden's hair when they were safely inside the elevator, "Almost as pretty as I was." She snorted in a not-so-pretty fashion, and Eden smiled sympathetically. "I could never be as pretty as you, Your Majesty," she replied sweetly, playing to the whims of a poor, sad woman.

"That's why I said _almost. All - mOOOst."_ His mother swayed, but caught herself on Maddox's shoulder. She seemed to find it comfortable there, because she leaned her head on it. Maddox could feel her start to drift off, but before she could, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened.

"Oh no you don't," he whispered, hauling her arm around his shoulder as Eden did the same with the other arm. Together, they led her to the Queen's suite and got the guard to open the door for them, making sure he knew not to mention this to anyone. Thankfully (and unfortunately), he was quite accustomed to the situation and knew to keep his mouth shut.

"You get her into pajamas while I go and find some makeup wipes," Maddox whispered to Eden, who nodded.

Maddox tip-toed over to the bathroom and dug through the drawers until he found a small package labeled _JASON MABECK: CLEANSING TOWELETTES_ and thought that it would do. Since he had no desire to see his mother naked, he decided to wait for a couple more minutes before reentering the room.

The bathroom was pristine and just as stunning as he remembered. When he and Brennan were little, she thought that it would be funny to put makeup on him, and he on her. They would get it all over the counters and floors, and they got on multiple peoples bad sides for it- the makeup artists, the maids, his mother. But after every single scolding, his mother would tell him that he did a very good job on Brennan's makeup, and she on his. Looking back, he knew that she was just being nice because they both looked utterly like clowns, but he supposed that's what made her a good mother- after every scolding, she'd comfort them and make them laugh. It was a strange system, but somehow, it worked. They grew to learn from their own mistakes without fearing their mother.

Which is why it hurt him so much to see her suffering.

Deciding that enough time had passed, Maddox walked back out to see his mother, still smothered in tear stains and makeup, but in her silky pajamas. She was awake and stroking Eden's hair like she would a horse's. When she saw Maddox, her eyes lit up. "Maddy!"

Maddox shushed her squeals quickly, not wanting to excite her. It was like quieting a child.

"You're such a bea-boo- _beautiful_ Maddy," his mother mused, stroking his face as he wiped hers, "and you," she said suddenly, looking back at Eden, "You're such a pretty girl." Eden and Maddox looked at each other and shared an amused grin.

"Thanks mom," Maddox whispered, smiling down at his mother.

"You two would be such a pretty, boo-bEAUtiful couple." Eden had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing, but Maddox kept shushing her, smiling himself.

"Thanks mom."

"I don't know why your father insists on throwing you a Selection."

And that made the room go silent.

Maddox could practically the emergency sirens blaring in his head as his mother began talking again, wanting to make her stop- wanting to make it all stop. But she just kept going.

"All to keep his stupid affair out of the light," she said thickly, her eyes tearing again, "and I told him- I _told_ him not to being you into this but he just wouldn't listen. Just kept going on abou-bout _bad publicity_ and how it'll be so _good for you._ And I mean I have to admit I was glad that it would bring you back home but ohhh," she began stroking their faces again, "I'd much prefer if _you two_ got married. Such a- such a pretty…"

And with that, she was out cold.

You could have heard the moon in space with how quiet the room was.

Maddox didn't want to look up, but he could tell that Eden was looking at him with those sad, sympathetic eyes of hers. He didn't want to see them. He didn't want the confirmation that what he just heard _hadn't,_ in fact, been a mad, twisted figment of his imagination. He didn't want it to be real. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt Eden's fingers weave through his fingers and lead him out of his mother's door. The hallway was long and twisty- much longer and twistier than he remembered. When the stepped into the elevator, he thought that he must have grown at least 2 years older.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Not even Eden's voice could coax him out of his stupor.

"Ok… I'll take you to your room." Maddox shot his hand out to grasp hers so that now they were facing each other, clutching both hands.

" _No,"_ he growled, almost dangerously, "We need to go back to the party." This seemed to take Eden by surprise.

"Back? But why-"

" _Just_ ," he stopped her, breathing heavily, "We just… we just do." Eden didn't seem to want to argue, so she hit the button for the first floor and spent the rest of the ride in complete silence.

When they arrived in the ballroom, they were ambushed by a very worried looking Sebastian Donovan, who looked beyond relieved to see them. "Maddox!" He rushed over to greet them.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I was talking to Vivien all evening and I forgot that I have to tell you something really important and because I don't want you to be caught off guard when they tell you-"

"That my parents are throwing me a Selection?" Maddox's voice was so utterly dry and humorless that he felt Eden cringe beside him. Sebastian just looked at him with wide, terrified eyes, as if he was afraid that the news would cause his friend to internally combust or something.

"Who told yo- nevermind. Are you ok?" Sebastian's question, though not at all funny, made Maddox laugh so hard it caused a few of the Rocky-Horror-Guests to look up.

"N-NO I-I'M NOT," Maddox practically cried, "Why the he-HELL would I be-be OK?!"

Eden tried to quiet Maddox like she had just done for the Queen, but Maddox shooed her off.

"Where's Brennan," he asked, his laughter dying, "Did she know about this?"

"Well-" Sebastian started, but he was cut off by a woman that Maddox recognised as the Palace Party Coordinator, Chloe Park.

"Your Highness! There you are- we've been looking all over for you!" Chloe looked Maddox up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. "It doesn't matter. You need to be on the stage right now. They're about to sing Happy Birthday to your sister, and your father's going to make a _very_ important announcement."

So this was when they were doing it. It all made sense: the out of the blue invitation, the immediate need to Sebastian to speak with him, the sad look that his mother kept giving him everytime he was with Eden. They had been planning this for months- and all because dad couldn't FUCKING keep it in his pants.

In Maddox's mind, it all came down to Sully. Sully, the secret that his father had been keeping for the six _fucking_ years; Sully, the man that had broken his mother so bad that the public had noticed and questioned her marriage; Sully, the man that his father was so adamant to keep around that he was forcing his son to come home form college to get married, just so that the public would stop questioning his marriage for a few short months. It all came down to _him._

Maddox didn't know that he had reached the stage until he was on it. He didn't know that he was singing _Happy Birthday_ to his sister until she had blown off the candles. He didn't know that his father was giving a speech until his name was mentioned in it.

"-And Maddox, on this special occasion, as his sister begins her journey into womanhood, has decided that he himself wants to set forth on his own journey- to finding true love."

This was it.

"As so-"

There was no going back.

"It is my pleasure to announce-"

Though he _so_ wanted to go back.

"The beginning of Prince Maddox's Selection!"

" _Once upon a time,"_ he thought to himself, " _There was a sad young prince, who wanted nothing more than to run away…."_

* * *

 _ **Hello!**_

 _ **So, my name is blue, and I'm very very VERY new to the whole syoc thing, though I've loved reading some other people's in the past. I've had this idea for a while now after listening to the Falsettos soundtrack (if any of you know the show, you'd know why it inspired this), and I'm finally ready to put it into motion!**_

 _ **I'm really excited about this, so please pleaaaase any comments or questions or SUBMISSIONS are so welcome. I have the second chapter ready, but I just want to see people's reactions to this before I put it out.**_

 _ **I will only be accepting 20 (I know. I'm sorry) because that's all I can really handle, but if I feel the need, I might add a couple more. The rules and form are on my bio, but I also have a pinterest account (username: blue roses) with all sorts of aesthetic and inspiration boards where I'll be putting all the outfits and pictures of the Selected. If you want, I'd love if you could share your character boards with me so that I can put inspo pins on them as well.**_

 _ **Soooo yeah! I think that's all I have to say now. Please leave a review! I know that was long, but they will NOT all be that long. I just wanted to give a full introduction to all the characters and the circumstances because they're all very important.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for reading!AHHHH I'm so excited this is finally out! I hope you'll stick around!**_

 _ **XOXOXO**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

 _We ask for passion at all times_

 _We stand for passion and drink this toast_

 _Still it's awfully trying_

 _And we're not denying_

 _That of all the lesser passions_

 _We like fighting most_

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Illea**_

 _ **Sunday, September 30; 9:45 am**_

Maddox knew full well that he was late for breakfast, and found that he gave a grand total of zero fucks. After the night he had, they could wait an extra 10 minutes as he took his sweet time procrastinating. The prince was still in his pajamas as he walked dazedly down the hallway. His butler, Lee, had given it his all trying to get Maddox to dress in proper clothes, but Maddox gave the same excuse to him that he planned on giving to his parents: he was being forced to get married and live at home. Did they really want to force any more on him?

When the elevator doors opened for him, he found the one familiar face that he actually wanted to see.

"You look like death warmed up," Eden said as he stepped into the elevator beside her. "Did you just make a _Devil Wears Prada_ reference?" Maddox gave her a sidelong look and Eden grinned guiltily. The two stood as stark contrast next to each other- Maddox in his gray sweats and t-shirt, and Eden in her red and white, fall gucci ensemble. She looked stunning, even before coffee.

"Sorry," said Eden, "I thought that I'd lighten the mood."

"By insulting me?"

"By making a _Devil Wears Prada_ reference," she defended hastily, shoving him as he chuckled. "So," she began again, allowing her tone to soften a little, "How are you gonna handle this?" Maddox sighed. To be honest, he didn't know. After last night - after the speech - he had stormed off to his room and gotten himself obscenely drunk, not caring to say goodnight to anyone at all. This morning however, with everyone sitting at the breakfast table, he would have to confront it. And as much as he wanted to chew his father out for all the shit he had stirred, he knew that it wasn't that simple. The elevator dinged just as he was about to answer and they stepped out.

"Talk," he replied, his tone more like a question, "Listen? Frankly I'm not sure. All I know is that I need to get through it without blowing up at my father and angering everyone there."

"That would be a good start, yes," Eden nodded, her voice terse, as if she didn't want to think about it any more than he did, "Just try to negotiate with them. See if you can finish school or something beforehand. They can postpone it right?"

Maddox gave an exaggerated shrug and an even more exaggerated sigh. The hell if he knew anything that went on in the palace. "I don't even know if I'll be able to choose my wife," he murmured resignedly, "Maybe he wants to do that too."

When they reached the doors to the dining room, Maddox hesitated before allowing the guards to open the door for them. Together, he and Eden strode into the private dining room where his father sat at the end of the table, and none other than Sully Marlowe sat comfortably beside him.

Brennan sat next to Sully, and Maddox noticed dully that his mother was not seated at the table beside his father.

 _Let her sleep,_ he thought, _she's had it worse than I have._

Vivien and Apollo were there as well, along with the Queen's sister, his Aunt Fiona. Vivien looked up and gave a comforting smile that, for once, did little to comfort him, while Brennan just stared at him blankly until realizing that he could see her and gave an apologetic grimace. Apollo seemed to realize the exact same thing at the exact same time, and gave his own tight-lipped, awkward grin. His aunt's gaze, however, looked like a strange mix of pity and rage, which he wholly identified with. She had been living at the palace with her sister for about two years now, and spent almost every second of it griping about Maddox's father, according to Vivien. It made sense. Maddox knew that he probably would have behaved in the same fashion if he was forced to live with the man for longer than a day. Oh, wait. He had. 18 years longer than a day.

While everyone seated at the table made horrendously poor attempts to hide their pitying, and even frightened, glances at Maddox, the devil himself was too engrossed in a conversation with Sully (who was subtly trying to alert the King to Maddox's presence) to notice his son's arrival until he and Eden had finally sat down at the table.

"Wha- oh," The King finally turned to face his son, his cheeks turning slightly pink, "Good morning, Maddox."

"Morning." The prince barely even spared a glance towards his father, too enraged by the sight of him to even risk it.

"You were late this morning."  
"I slept in."  
The King nodded, pursing his lips. Evidently, he had more common sense than Maddox had first predicted and chose to let his son's tardiness slide. Maddox signalled for one of the servants to bring him a cup of coffee, and from that time until the blessed cup arrived, everyone sat in total silence, watching Maddox out of the corners of their eyes. Once Maddox had taken his first sip, Brennan seemed like the only one brave enough to talk to him.

"Sleep well, Maddy?"

"Super."

Maddox refused to even look at her, choosing to study his toast which he found so much more inviting. Beside him, he could feel his father's eyes boring into the side of his head, but he kept his eyes glued to his toast. Finally, the King cleared his throat and said in a forced genial sort of way, "So, tell me about your trip, Maddox? Vivien was just telling me all about your adventures in Paris." Maddox looked up from his coffee to glare incredulously at his father.

"I was _studying abroad,"_ he said blankly, as if trying desperately to keep his emotions in check, "It wasn't a _trip._ I was living there. Going to school. You don't do those sort of things on a _trip."_

His father's eyebrows jumped, and he gave an unconvincing chuckle. "Well, it was never going to be permanent, so yes, I think that constitutes as a trip…" Maddox dropped his toast and leaned his elbows on the table. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe the same air as this man...

"So is my _trip_ done now, father? Is my _schooling_ done?" He could tell he was breaking his father's front, because the King began to tap his finger on the top of his spoon, hardly blinking.

"Well, over the next couple months," the King began slowly, obviously aware they were treading highly unstable ground, "You can be tutored here…"

"So I'm just not going back to Paris then?"

"That's not entirely true," the king murmured, laying his napkin down on his plate fixedly, "you can always go on your honeymoon."

The prince felt _murderous._

He could feel his hands shaking as his father finally looked up from his plate, and when Maddox saw his eyes, he knew that what the king had said was entirely conscious. Maddox was pissed, and now, the king looked equally as so. His eyes extended a silent challenge - one that Maddox was not afraid to take - and he said, slowly, "This is for your own good, Maddox." The prince broke. A rush of anger, hurt, and complete mortification exploded to the surface like a volcano of emotion and Maddox was not keen to hold back.

" _My own good,"_ he seethed, "You're whoring me off to the female population of Illea so that you can keep your own whoring escapades a secret." The King tensed and sat bolt upright. Beside him, Sully looked as if he wanted to crawl under the table and live there. "You know, I always knew you were selfish, but goddammit dad, is _his dick,"_ he nodded his head over to Sully, "really worth more than your son?"

" _Maddox!"_ Brennan's eyes were wide with outrage, and that just made him even angrier. How dare she take his side!

"MADDOX KINGSTON SCREAVE!" The king bellowed, his jaw clenching in the way it always did when he was angry. Maddox didn't want to stay for whatever fight was awaiting. Sure, it might be healthy, but it was also painful for him. He didn't want to hear whatever lies his father would pull out of his ass. As the table began to realize that the awkward silence was officially over, the shouting and pleading increased tenfold. Everyone had an opinion, and frankly, he wanted to hear none of them.

Shoving his chair away from the table, he stood, tuning out all the protests, including Eden's who tried to stand with him.

"No," he said when she tried to take his hand, jerking it away, " _No."_

The blonde sat back down, clearly hurt, her pouty lips sealing together tightly as she held back her obvious protests. The table rose collectively, shouting at each other and at him. The only silent one was Sully, which seemed to Maddox wrong and even more irritating. Why should _he_ get to take the high road when the rest of them were brawling down in the trenches! Turning away from the chaos filled table, he strode out in a huff, not bothering to look back.

All of them - even Eden, even Vivien, even his sister - were all so self absorbed. He was the only one that had a right to be angry here! Only him!

This was _his_ life that they were ruining. He wasn't ready to get married! He was 20 years old, and he still had to get his degree. Paris was what he had looked forward to his whole life and now he was being forced to turn in early. And for what? For a wife that he barely knew? For a chance to prolong his father's sordid affair? It was all shit... or something stronger than shit... it was manure.

And what about that poor girl? Some poor soul would be forced to marry him and, in doing so, would integrate themselves into the dysfunctional circus his father tried to call a family. Would he even love her? Would she even love him?

It didn't matter. He would do it anyway, because that's what His Majesty commanded.

 _So much for keeping the peace,_ he thought dully to himself.

* * *

"You're creating a draft," Sully droned as the King paced wildly in his office, "I don't think that's good for your hips. They're so fragile now anyway." The King's lover stayed fixated on his cuticles as Maddox Sr. paused to look at him, irritated.

"Sully, now is not the time to be calling me old," he growled, resuming his pacing. Sully rolled his eyes, his nail file still working away casually.  
"You know, there are other ways you can work up a sweat. For instance, I'm here aren't I?" He smirked coyly, leaning further back in his chair. His chocolate eyes glittered in amusement as the King finally hesitated in his stride. Turning to Sully, the King's eyes traveled his length with somewhat restrained hunger. Sully always looked put together, no matter the occasion. He had a taste for the finer things in life, something that King Maddox was always happy to indulge him in when he wasn't being a prat. They held each other's gaze for about 3 seconds before Sully dropped his back to his nails and said, "No, never mind, I'm not in the mood."

The King growled dangerously and strode with purpose over to sit on the leather chair right across from Sully. Leaning his elbows on his knees and clenching his jaw (habits that he had passed on to his son), he massaged his temple. "What am I going to do with that boy," he murmured, looking back up at Sully, "I get that we've never been close, and he's never been ok with…"

"Me," Sully said blankly.

"Yeah," the King sighed, "But you would think that years of therapy would have corrected that."

"I hate to break it to you, Maddox," Sully heaved a deep breath, setting down his nail filer, "But when you send a rebellious 16 year old boy into therapy with a 26 year old female therapist, I promise you that they weren't talking during that one hour once a week."The King's eyes flashed heatedly for a quarter of a second before he threw his head back and groaned. Sully watched him patiently. He knew that when the King was in moods such as this, it was best to just sit back and pretend to listen until Maddox had calmed down a little. At that point, Sully would jump in with a quippy little insult to make the King think that his anger and irritation was just sexual frustration, and Sully would finally get his reward for sitting through all that dreadful pacing. It was a system that Sully could live with, but in this particular instance, he actual had some verbal, as opposed to physical, input.

"So, quick thought," he said, hesitating a bit, "I was thinking about going to visit some friends in Switzerland for a little while… and with the Selection coming up, now might be the best time for me to go… it would definitely ease Maddox's mind and make him more tolerable." The King looked up, his eyebrows cinched.

"Leave? You don't have to _leave."_

"Why wouldn't I leave?"

"Because I need you here!" The King now sat board stiff in his chair, chest out and ready for combat as he always was. Sully laughed almost mockingly and gave the King a single-eyebrowed look.

"You want me to be lounging around the palace with 35 girls walking around, mouths open and ready to blab to the press? Um, no. I like my plan better."

"We'll be discreet," the King protested as if it was obvious, "You just won't be able to come to meals anymore, but that's fine. I don't really want to eat with 35 bimbos anyway," his eyes turned predatory, "I'd much rather take my meals in my bedroom…"

"Yeah, no, complaining doesn't really get me hot, so don't even try," Sully said, standing to walk over to the drink cart, "Listen I'll just stay in their chalet over the holidays, and then maybe when the Selection is dying down you could come visit and we could-"

"WAIT," the King burst out suddenly, startling Sully into spilling his drink. " _Shit,"_ Sully cursed, mopping up the drink with a paper that looked a little important upon second glance, "What?"

"You're gonna be the Selection coordinator."

'That's not a thing."

"Sure it is," the King said, standing up and practically bouncing over to his lover, "You can help the girls and organize events and all that fun stuff! _And_ you could stay here. No more having to leave to go back to that little penthouse of yours."  
"That penthouse is 10,000 sq ft and you bought it for me," Sully said flatly, his eyes watching the King's every move as if he were afraid he would pounce. He turned back to the drink cart slowly, finally tearing his eyes away from the King and his cheshire cat-like smile.

"Why go through all that trouble, when we both know that it would just be easier and less painful for everybody involved if I just left-"  
"Because I don't _want_ you to leave," Maddox whined, grabbing Sully from behind and wrapping his arms around his waist. Sully rolled his eyes and shoves the King's hands off.

"Well sometimes, we don't always get what we want, do we?" He gave another one of his coy smiles and sashayed back over to the leather couch, scotch in hand. The King scoffed and followed him, catching up just in time to pinch his ass right before he sat down. Sully looked up as if scandalized. "Hey," he scolded, his finger out and pointing like a parent to a child, "What'd I just say? Hands off, not in the mood."

"Since when are you not in the mood," the King drawled, crouching down to grip Sully's thighs, eyes never leaving his.

"Since your draft cooled down my little friend," Sully scathed, sipping his drink, not paying any attention to the way the King's hands kept sliding higher and higher up onto his thigh.

"Stay with me," the King said, his voice on the brink of a whisper.

"No."

 _"Stay with me."_

 _"No."_

The King's hands just kept climbing higher and higher until…

"Yes, yes, ok, I'll stay here ya bastard, now come here," Sully said breathlessly, grabbing the King's face and kissing him hard on the lips. The King smirked against his lover's lips and said in a deep murmur, "I knew I'd win."

"Say another word and I'll walk right out that door."

And not another word was said.

* * *

The warm, late summer breeze embraced Brennan as she sat basking in the afternoon sunlight. Smoke billowed around her, and every few seconds, she would mindlessly wave it away, and then create some more. The garden was empty aside from a few squirrels scurrying about, in and out of trees, and a caterpillar that Brennan was watching intently as it tried desperately to get off the patio and into the grass.

 _"You can do it,"_ she whispered encouragingly, "I believe in you."  
"Talking to yourself now," a voice came from behind her. She didn't jump, but instead continued to watch the caterpillar, lifting a hand to wave back at the intruder.

"It's a caterpillar," she said as Sully came and sat down beside her, kicking his feet out tiredly, "And you almost stepped on it."

"What are you trying to get it to do?"

"Make its way to the grass. It's been trying for a solid 6 minutes but it can't seem to worm it's way around my purse."

Sure enough, the hairy little insect attempted to squirm it's way up the bag, nearly accomplishing it's task until it once again fell down around the slippery handle. After trying to go around it and being blocked by a puddle from the previous night's rain, the little caterpillar attempted the perilous purse again.

"I think that if you weren't so high, this wouldn't be as interesting to you," Sully said, picking the princess' tiny joint out from her fingers and chucking it across the courtyard. " _Hey,_ " she protested, but Sully simply wiped his hands and threw his arms around the back of the bench.

"That's bad for you."

"It is not."

"Yes, it is, and I've told you a million times that you shouldn't smoke that or _anything else."_ She tried to look offended but he gave her a look that said "don't even try me" and she slouched back down, pouting.

"So I like to have a little fun sometimes, big deal," the princess complained. She looked back at the caterpillar, once again having fallen off the purse and attempting to brave the puddle. "You're right," she murmured, "I don't think it's that interesting."

"Oh so now you're _agreeing_ with me," Sully chuckled, "Yeah, honey, you're still high as a kite."

"Shut up," she said, "What are you doing out here anyway? I thought you would have left by now with Maddox home and everything."

"Yeah, I thought so too," Sully sighed, "But your father had other ideas."

"Like what? Like he was horny and wanted to screw in the middle of the day? Because that's normal." Both Sully and Brennan laughed at that comment, however weak it was. But Sully shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly finding the caterpillar so very interesting.

"No… well, yeah, but no, that's not what he wanted me to stay for." Brennan gave him a questioning look and he obliged, saying frankly, "He wants me to stay for the Selection."

For some reason, Brennan took the news better than he had assumed she would. "I figured," she sighed, looking back down at the caterpillar with him, "Like he would let you leave for that long anyway… it's just stupid of him and it's gonna blow up in his face."

"I thought you might care a little more about this, Princess," Sully said, "It is, after all, your family reputation on the line." Brennan snorted in an exceptionally un-princess-like manner and said, "Trust me. That ship has sailed so far it's docking in New Asia." Sully couldn't argue with her on that.

"You talk to your brother," he asked, a little hesitantly. Brennan looked about ten times more tired when he mentioned the Return of the Prodigal Son. "No," she said, "I'm trying to work up the patience."  
"You don't need patience. You just need to love him."

"I do love him. And I hate him. That's why I need patience- he's my older brother." Sully chuckled again, but this time Brennan didn't follow suit.

"I would probably hate me too," he said, gazing at her as she gazed at the caterpillar, "I don't blame him. You shouldn't either."

"That's not the only reason I'm mad," she said softly. It looked like it pained her to speak about it, so Sully didn't push. That's what she loved about Sully- he seemed to always know what other people needed and wanted, and was happy to oblige. No one seemed to realize this about him, or care, but it's what Brennan loved most about him. It was why, in times like these, he was the only person that she wanted to talk to.

"He left me." She said this like a realization, but she had known for quite a while that this was why she was pissed with Maddox; this was why some part of her hated him so.

"I know he did," Sully whispered consolingly.

"He wanted Paris and Eden and parties and those _damn_ stories of his," she whimpered, her eyes pooling against her will, "He's such a coward. He runs away from everything; escapes everything; blames anything and everything he can on other people without a lick of acknowledgment about how his own actions affect those around him. He's so selfish. So _fucking_ selfish." Her voice began to crack, but before she could break out into full sobs, Sully grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her into his chest. Her head nestled under his chin, he rubbed her back slowly, not making any sort of noise, whatsoever. Nothing to make her feel like a child- just to make her feel loved.

"He loves you, though. At least there's that. I don't think there's many people on this planet that can say that the prince loves them." Brennan didn't say a word, but her hiccuping cries began to slow and she lost herself in Sully's warmth, which was more comforting than any breeze could ever be.

" _I-I think I'm s-still a tiny bit high,"_ she hiccuped into his chest, and he laughed. "Yeah, babe," he said, still smiling, "I think you are." She looked up, pulling slightly away so that she could wipe her eyes.

"I'm glad father's making you stay," she murmured, "I want you here. With Maddox and Sebastian…."

"You still haven't spoken to him?" Sully knew that this was a fragile topic, but he assumed that they had already breached that barrier. Brennan knew he didn't mean to pry, but that didn't mean she didn't want to talk about it any less. Even so, she shook her head. Sully cursed. "He's an ass for leading you on like that." Brennan's mouth parted as if she was about to protest, but all that came out was a squak of indignation.

"I'm not a kid. It's not like he took advantage of me or anything."

"You are a kid, and he did take advantage of you."

"Sully!"

"Brennan," he said calmly, if not a tad bit patronizingly, "You're more mature than any 17 year old I know. Granted, I don't know that many, but I'm pretty sure they're a lot less clear minded than you, even when your mind is clouded with marijuana," he said, nudging her with his elbow as she leaned back down into his side, "But you are a kid, and he's 23. Nothing should have happened in the first place, but now that it has, he should be mature and try to talk to you about it like an adult, instead of avoiding you like the plague and spending all his precious time with the Rose girl."

"Vivien."

"Yeah, yeah, there's too many of you to keep track," Sully said sarcastically, a cheeky smile playing on his lips. There was a similar one dancing on Brennan's, and that's all he needed to see.

"Talk to him. And your brother. You're probably the most mature out of all of them, so you need to take the initiative." He smiled compassionately down at the little princess, who returned it graciously, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Thanks, Sully," she whispered.

"No problem, princess," he replied softly before forcing his voice to harden a bit, saying, "Just don't let me catch you with any of that shit again." He could tell that she was rolling her eyes, even if she wasn't looking at him, but he was fine with that.

"You got it, man," she said flatly, her sarcasm rivaling his own. They chuckled together, and Sully looked back back down to the Princess' purse where he expected the caterpillar to be, still struggling to find a route to the grass. But, to his pleasant surprize, it wasn't there. "Hey," he said, nudging her again, "Your friends gone."

Brennan looked up and gave a faint smile. "Dammit," she said, "I was growing fond of the little guy." They locked eyes for a minute before sharing a smile. Sully jerked his head back towards the castle. "C'mon, kid," he said, "Can't keep the family waiting."

Brennan snorted for the second time that afternoon. "Sure. Let's see how long we can keep calling it that."

* * *

 _ **Oh my god! I'm so thrilled about the response I'm getting from the first chapter! Thank you to all those who reviewed, followed, favorited, and especially submitted characters! I've loved all of the girl's that I've thus far received and the character boards that I've seen on Pinterest. Now I really want to get this thing started. It gives me great pride to say that 17 out of 20 spots are already taken, but I think that I might add a couple more if I get people who want them. If not, 20's great!**_

 _ **Soooo this was just another chapter to kind of give more of a sense of this weird family dynamic, but next chapter is going to be more Selection oriented and fun. Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next one will be out next week! Please review! It made me sto happy to read the ones from last chapter!**_

 _ **Thank you!**_

 _ **XOXO**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

 _I'd like to be princess on a throne_

 _To have a country I can call my own_

 _And a King_

 _Who's lusty and requires a fling_

 _With a female thing_

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Illea**_

 _ **Friday, October 4; 8:00 pm**_

The following week came to pass in such a blur that Maddox hardly had time to register what drink he was throwing back. Not much had changed or occurred, mostly due to the prince's absence from family meals and Sully's absence from the palace property. Maddox had not yet been notified of Mr. Marlowe's plans for the Selection, though he could not deny that he had been curious to know. Of course, he would rather snort gunpowder while smoking than tell anyone that he was remotely interested in the life and plans of his father's lover, but still it would be nice to satiate his curiosity.

For an entire week, it was all Maddox could do not to mention Sully, his father, or the up and coming gameshow for his love life. For an entire week, the prince sat in a stupefied, sulking haze, making absolute certain that an alcoholic beverage was kept at arm's length at all times.

He hadn't yet spoken to his sister, and his sister hadn't taken Sully's advice to go and speak to him. He wasn't quite as furious with her as he had been about 5 days before, but to say that all was forgiven would be understandably false. The anger no longer resided in his heart, but the betrayal ran deep.

In the meantime, Brennan wasn't too positive that she was ready to bury the hatchet with her big brother either. In fact, the princess spent the abundance of her time that wasn't wasted in tutoring out and about with Sully as he made all of his pre-selection-move arrangements. She felt bad, of course, that Maddox was being forced into a Selection that he was in no way ready for, and in no way wanted, but at the same time, she could muster up no pity for a boy who spent a grand majority of his time lately pitying himself.

Eden, Sebastian, and Vivien were the only three people who saw the prince at all throughout the entire week before the report, aside from his butler, Lee. Sebastian was understanding for the first few days, considering Maddox was finally up for day drinking with him, but when the Prince's body odor became a bit too repugnant for his taste, he bailed.

"The man smells like Steve Buscemi looks: greasy and insectile," Bash had told Eden before leaving. She didn't agree with him, for the sake of loyalty, but didn't argue either as he ran from Maddox's pig-stye of a room.

Vivien stayed and was actually the one to coax Maddox into a shower and get him to leave the bedroom so that the maids could pick it up. Much to their surprise, he had protested, saying that he could pick it up himself, and he didn't need maids to do it for him because he was an adult. In the end, however, he did such a poor job that they made a quick task of sweeping him from the room so that someone could do it properly.

The King, meanwhile, busied himself with Selection preparations, making press releases and such, as well as sending out forms to the provinces. The Queen, similarly, kept herself from worrying about Maddox by picking out designs for Selected bedrooms, and making arrangements for the Opening Ball. Her husband thought it best to let her handle this, seeing as the duty would soon fall to Sully, and he wanted to hold off that volcanic eruption for as long as he possibly could. On the whole, everyone in the palace had found a way to escape he or she's individual problems, and was doing a fine job of avoiding them until The Report rolled around on the following Friday.

"That's it for our show everyone! You've been a wonderful audience, and we'll see you all next week when we announce the names of our beautiful Selected!" The crowd roared as the lights went pitch black and the royal family, along with their respective guests, left the stage behind the host, Mickey Marlon

Mickey Marlon had been the host of The Report for around 29 years and he was damn good at it. He had the kind of smile that made you feel like you were his best friend, and when you watched him, you wished that you could be. He wore a pinstripe suit just about everywhere he went, and had kept his head smooth and shiny for all 29 years that he had been Report host. Mickey was about as close to a father figure as Maddox could get, and it made him feel a million times better to know that throughout the whole gory process of trying to find a wife, his Uncle Mickey would be there.

"Don't overthink it," Mickey whispered to the prince backstage, "They're gonna be peachy one minute and catty the next, but you just gotta go with it. Women aren't hard if you don't overthink 'em." He gave Maddox a wink, like they now shared a secret or something. Despite the useless nature of the advice, Mickey's wink had made Maddox relax, if only for a second, before walking towards the entrance of the theatre to where his parents and sister were waiting. Eden and Vivien gave him little smiles of encouragement, but after a week of those same smiles, the effect wasn't as great as Mickey's wink.

The stage in which they had held the weekly Report for about 20 years now (it used to be held in the palace, but hosting a live audience every week became an annoyance) was justifiably named The Castle, but was truly named Donovan Hall, after Sebastian's grandfather who had funded it's construction. Bash wasn't too fond of the place, and did his best to avoid it whenever his family would allow him to, which is why he wasn't with them as they exited the theatre and filed into a limo out front. Flashing lights, aggressive questioning, and cheers that bordered on shrieks greeted them as they stepped out through the glass doors, but after years and years of this same treatment, not a member of the party blinked as they strode towards their awaiting cars.

" _Prince Maddox, any comment on your father's alleged affair with Madelyn Montgomery?"_

" _Prince Maddox, why the sudden return from abroad?"_

" _Princess Brennan are you planning on going to rehab?"_

" _Eden! Eden! Do you plan on entering Maddox's Selection?"_

" _Prince Maddox over here!"_

" _King Maddox!"_

" _Your Majesties!"_

The limo doors closed with a resolute click and all of the passengers suddenly became very much aware of their senses once more. Maddox, Brennan, Eden, Apollo, and Vivien sat in absolute silence as the car purred smoothly out of the drive and sped back towards the palace.

Maddox and Eden sat closely together at the end of the car, while Viven, Apollo, and Brennan sat spaced out in the center aisle. Apollo looked like he wanted to say something, but held his tongue for once and allowed his fellow passengers some peace.

Maddox watched Brennan closely. Her dress, a pale pink number that looked like a T-shirt, was dotted with random embellishments and jewels, and looked just classy enough to be worn to the report, but just whimsical enough to be worn by Brennan. Her short hair was slicked back in a very "vogue" sort of fashion, and her lips, pouty as always, matched the pale pink of her dress. Maddox smiled in spite of himself. The outfit exuded waves of _Brennan._

They caught each other's eyes for a brief second before Brennan swiftly turned her head, her lips straightening adamantly as she tried her very hardest to look disinterested. Maddox gulped. Of course he was still hurt by her favoring of Sully, but she hadn't truly done something wrong. The entire week, he had waited for her to turn up at his door, not to apologize, but just to talk. The silence between them was so passive that it physically hurt him to be in the same room as her without some form of acknowledgement. For a moment he considered saying something, speaking up. But Eden beat him to it.

"Do you think we're _required_ to go to the cocktail party? Because I for one would much rather stay in and get drunk." She gave a weak grin as if to feign joking, but everyone could tell she was just trying to start a conversation.

"Considering the sole reason for the party is my upcoming nuptial, I think that I have to make an appearance," Maddox said, his voice once again descending into a tone of self pity.

"Ok, so we get drunk after. Or before, if you just want to block the whole thing out." The blonde's tone came off playfully optimistic, but in truth, she was trying her damndest to hide her apparent aggravation with the prince. Maddox didn't sense this.

"If we get drunk before, the press will go nuts, and I'll be too tired after to-"

"For Christ's sake, Maddox," Brennan cut in, making everyone look up, "Why are you so determined to wallow in your misery. Eden is kindly offering you an easier alternative to small talk and canapes: getting wasted."

Maddox was caught off guard for a second by Brennan's sudden outburst, but quickly recovered saying, "I'm not wallowing. I'm just trying to get through this whole thing with as little drama as possible."

"Then stop stirring it up for everyone else!"

"I'm not stirring up drama for everyone else I'm-"

"You're sulking in your room, making everyone worry about you, refusing to accept help from anyone," she gestured wildly over to Eden who's eyebrows jumped off her face, "and for some odd reason - God knows what - you seem to be dead set on remaining miserable, thereby forcing _us_ to remain miserable. So yes, Maddox, I think you are causing a tad bit too much drama already, and frankly, I think that maybe skipping the goddamn cocktail party to get hammered would do you some good. You might even grace us with a smile."

When she finished her tirade, the princess fell right back in her seat, not even realizing that she had been inching upward in her fury. Apollo gave a low whistle, causing Brennan to roll her eyes and Vivien to grin in spite of herself. Eden stayed silent and stared fixedly at Brennan, mostly to avoid looking at Maddox.

"Maybe you're right." Everyone stared at the prince.

"I'm sorry?" Brennan appeared just a mystified by his words as the rest of their party.

Maddox could hardly comprehend what he was saying either, because some part of him was angry with Brennan for saying all those things. A very large part. But another, significantly smaller, yet stronger, part of him felt guilty. Poor Eden was sitting stiffly beside him, as if fearing he would suddenly explode out of nowhere and she would be the first to experience the blow. Brennan, his sister and possibly his best friend, hadn't spoken to him in a week, only to scold him now for not getting drunk with his friends. It wasn't right. None of it was. And it killed him to think that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't his father that was causing all this turmoil, but a fraction of the blame might belong to himself.

"I didn't mean to… you know…"

"Be a dick," Brennan finished for him. Apollo let out a snort of laughter.

"Maybe not the word I would've used," Maddox said a little tightly, "but I guess it works."

"It does."

"We're not arguing anymore Brennan, so stop getting defensive."

Brennan opened her mouth to argue back, perhaps to ironically protest that she wasn't being defensive, but Vivien cut her off.

"Look, Maddox, we all know that you're under a lot of strain with this whole Selection thing," she spoke softly, and Maddox flinched when she said Selection, "and it's completely unfair to you. We all get that. But…" She trailed off and glanced around the limo for some help, but Brennan had already resigned herself to listening and Eden wanted absolutely no part of any conflict. Apollo, however, stepped in saying, "But as much as this is hurting you, hurting the rest of us, including your sister, isn't going to make the situation anymore tolerable."

"I know it isn't," Maddox complained, not as taken aback by Apollo's sudden strike of maturity as the others, "but am I not allowed to, I don't know, _mourn_?"

"Of course you are," Vivien consoled swiftly, "Of course you have a right to be upset, and we're fine with that. But once this thing gets underway-"

"Then you should really put the pouting to rest," finished Apollo. Maddox looked at the two crossly, jaw clenched and elbows on knees. He glanced over at Brennan who was gazing almost defiantly back at him. After an entire week of avoiding him, it was like something inside her had finally snapped and now she was ready to challenge him head on. Despite his annoyance, he had to respect her for it. Through all of this, Eden remained silent and still, and it was this silence and stillness in his best friend that made him sit back up and sigh.

"I know," he said finally, keeping eye contact "I'm sorry. I should have been more... considerate."

"It's really fine," Vivien said softly.

"Yeah, seriously, we get it," said Apollo. Brennan stayed silent, her eyes falling back to her hands. Maddox felt a pang of guilt. They shouldn't be like this. They should be on the same side.

"I never gave you your birthday present, you know," Maddox said to Brennan, making her look up. "For a minute there I thought that you just didn't get me one. Or you had thrown it away," she replied with that same touch of defiance in her voice. Maddox chuckled.

"I'm a lot of things, but I'm not cruel," he said, giving her a tentative smile. She returned it a little slower than he'd have liked, but she did return it.

"Aw, this is good! This is really good, cause now we can all get drunk together and not kill each other!" Apollo gave a mocking applause, regaining some of his former immaturity, and earning a kick to the shin from Brennan. "Ow!"

"So what is it," she asked, now smiling broadly. Maddox grinned at the thought of it. He had found something perfect for her. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"I don't like waiting."

"Well patience is a virtue I think that you could stand to learn."

"Don't be an asshole now I've just forgiven you." Maddox decided to let that one slide. He sighed and turned back to Eden, who was now watching the scene unfold, no longer as stiff as she once was. She met his eyes warily. "You think Sebastian could stand to be in the same room with me now," he asked. She smirked.

"I don't know," she said teasingly, "You don't stink anymore but your personality is still an issue…" Maddox poked her in the side, causing her to immediately slap his hand away and break into that smile that he loved so much.

"Bash might actually break into tears of joy if you walk into his room and ask to skip the party and get drunk," Vivien said, laughing along with them, "He might even kiss you."

The car was filled now filled with warm, jovial laughter as they all relished in the chance to finally enjoy their time together as the kids that they were. Everyone cackled at Vivien and Apollo's endless jabs at Sebastian, and no one - no one except for Maddox, that is - noticed the faint blush that rose to Brennan's cheeks at the mention of Sebastian kissing someone. It was, however, the first time in a week that he had been able to laugh freely with his sister, or even laugh at all. So, in the interest of preserving some of his final moments of freedom and carelessness, he let it go, and resolved to deal with it another day.

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Illea**_

 _ **Friday, October 4; 9:46 pm**_

"Where are they? They were supposed to get here ages ago." The King's eyes darted around the room frantically while his wife, who was too busy smiling and greeting guests to respond, sat reluctantly through her husband's complaining. The cocktail party had been in full swing for about an hour, and Maddox, Brennan, and all their friends had not so much as stepped through the door. Instead, they had opted to hide up in Maddox's room with a couple of bottles of Indian Single Malt Whiskey, from his father's private stock, and play strip poker.

His father didn't know that though.

"I'm sure they'll be down soon, darling," the Queen whispered through gritted teeth.

"What if he's gone back to Paris or-"

"He hasn't gone back to Paris."

"Then where do you suppose he is?"

"In his own country, would be my first guess," Donatella said with a taunting grin. Her arm, which was draped through the King's, squeezed his just enough to make him wince. They continued to stroll arm and arm through the candlelit ballroom, looking like the perfect couple. He side-eyed her for a split second before smiling charmingly at yet another guest.

"I haven't seen a certain 'royal tailor' here either" the Queen whispered, "Did you two get in a cat fight again?" Her tone sounded conversational but the King knew better. His jaw shifted.

"I'll have you know that he chose to sit out on this particular party for Maddox's sake."

The Queen made a sound almost like a scoff and reached for another fluke of champagne off a passing tray. "Ah yes. How selfless of him to put our son's best interests above all else. Especially since it's his fault that Maddox is in this horrid situation in the first pla-"

" _Shhh_ ," the King cut her off briskly, his tone dangerous, "Keep your bloody voice down, Dona… and it's not his fault Maddox is having a Selection."

"Oh, silly me, you're right. It's not his fault, it's _yours."_

Just as she was about to take another sip from her fluke, the King snatched it out of her hands before anyone could see, and said harshly, "I think you've had enough of this." The queen was rendered speechless and unable to react, seeing as about a dozen onlookers were whispering and glancing their way. The King rested the stolen glass on another passing tray and whispered menacingly in her ear, " _Don't you ever speak of Sully like that in public again, do you understand me?"_

Donatella, not having decided whether she would loudly protest or nod meekly, was saved from having to choose by a certain blonde haired, red lipped woman that looked stunningly like her daughter.

"Celine! You never cease to stun me- you look divine," King Maddox said pleasantly, turning away from his wife to kiss the cheek of Celine St. James. She was slender and dressed elegantly in a cream colored jumpsuit and matching stilettos. Her dirty blonde hair fell in waves, and her twinkly, almond shaped eyes (blue-grey like her daughter's) darted curiously between the royal couple. However, in a fashionably raspy voice, she said, "Don't flatter me in front of your wife, Maddox! She'll begin to suspect something! Oops- I've said too much." They all chuckled good-naturedly at her supposed quip.

"We weren't sure if we would see you," said Donatella, recovering from her lightning-fast spat with Maddox.

"Oh please, darling, of course I came! I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Is Bianca here as well," the King asked, referring to Celine's wife; Eden, Apollo, and Allegra's other mother.

"Unfortunately she couldn't make it," Celine said, running a hand through her hair, as if straightening an imperfection that wasn't there, "She's working with Allegra on a new lip kit formula. Honestly, the woman never rests- something she undoubtedly passed onto Allie. If only the gene passed onto Apollo as well." She rolled her eyes in exasperation and laughed along with the King and Queen.

"Nonetheless, I'm glad they're both doing well," said Maddox.

"Oh yes, yes, my children tend to do fine when left on their own. They're always off somewhere in the world doing something or other that I'm going to read about in the next day's paper."

"I know the feeling."

"I know you do," said Celine, her voice suddenly sobering, "How is Maddox anyway? I mean a Selection... the poor boy must be squirming. Is that why he's not here?" The royal couple shared a brief glance, causing Celine to raise her eyebrows a fraction of an inch.

"Nothing gets past you, Celine," King Maddox said with an indulgent, sheepish smile, "Getting some cold feet, Maddox. I did too when I was in his position, but of course I got over it. Met Dona and that was it for me." He gave his wife an affectionate peck on the cheek, and to any curious onlookers, it looked remarkably like a sweet gesture from a loving husband to his beautiful wife. And yet Celine, who had known both of them for years, saw the accumulating tension in Dona's jaw, and the hesitation in the King's movement. The two were suffocating in that room together, and it made Celine's heart hurt. However, touching up her flippant smile, she said, "Well aren't you two sweet! But might I steal Dona from you Maddox? Haven't seen you in so long-"  
"Oh please please, by all means, ladies," the King said, taking his arm away from his wife so swiftly you would have thought that she burned him. Besides the fleeting look of hurt that flashed across the Queen's face, the party was more than happy to disperse, and they went their separate ways, the two women's arms now laced through each other's, and the King wandering off to find a more preferable partner.

"Charming man your husband," Celine said blandly.

"Isn't he just."

"Quite frankly I'm surprised you two lasted that long together without someone's arm being torn from its socket."

"Quite frankly I was about to do exactly that," the Queen said, laughing humorlessly. The two women found their way to the balcony and away from the prying eyes of reporters everywhere. When they finally reached the railing overlooking the garden, Donatella closed her eyes and took in a shaky breath. "I was drowning in there."  
"Sometimes I think you're always drowning," Celine said softly, squeezing Dona's arm comfortingly. Dona smiled a grim, joyless smile that made Celine's heart ache for her friend.

"Sure seems like it, doesn't it?" The Queen opened her eyes and slipped her arm from Celine's to turn back around and look at the party. Her friend could smell the putrid stench of alcohol on her breath and cringed.

"Your daughter and my son have become inseparable," the Queen said out of nowhere, "It makes me wonder whether she signed up for the Selection herself."

"She wouldn't," said Celine, turning to lean back against the railing with her friend, "Eden's not impulsive. She overthinks everything, and I can practically guarantee you that the thought has not left her mind long enough for her to actually fill out the form." Dona nodded dazedly, only partly comprehending what her friend was saying.

"She loves him."

"Indeed she does."

Dona was silent. Celine cleared her throat. "And does he love her?"

Dona blinked and made no indication that she planned on responding, before saying, "I don't think Maddox is entirely sure what love is."

"Are you?"

Silence. Dona breathed in and said softly, "I think I need a drink." And with that she made her way inside.

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Illea**_

 _ **Friday, October 4; 12:35 pm**_

Four hours had passed since they had begun their game of strip poker, and Maddox wasn't entirely sure they had finished it. By the time 10:00 had rolled around, Sebastian was already 6 flags to the wind and stark naked - both of his own volition. Apollo, who, as it turned out, wasn't very good at holding his liquor, was right up there with him, while Vivien, Eden, and Maddox were only slightly tipsy and watching the boys with thorough amusement.

Brennan had already left by the time Sebastian had begun to take off his pants, but before that point, Maddox had made sure to give her his long overdue birthday present: a first edition Chanel _Little Black Dress_ that had been restored by one of his designer friends in Paris. She was ecstatic.

"I will never get mad at you ever again," she had said, squealing madly as she stroked the fabric, "Never again for as long as I live! _I love you I love you I love youuuuu!"_ She had jumped up to hug him around the neck like she used to and he had felt all the air leave his lungs with the force of her embrace. It was worth it though.

Now, however, she was off somewhere doing god knows what, while Apollo was passed out on the couch, Sebastian was laughing dopily at some joke he had just mumbled to himself, and Vivien was still sipping her third martini of the night, not in the least bit perturbed by her company's behavior. Maddox laid his head on Eden's lap and she began to toy with his hair, humming something vaguely familiar, but not interesting enough to wonder about. His mind drifted aimlessly about as he listened to her indistinct song, the dim chuckles of Sebastian, and the clink of the ice in Vivien's glass.

"Tell us a story, Maddox," Vivien said out of nowhere. Maddox turned his head in Eden's lap to look at his cousin. She was gazing at him lazily, as if his answer mattered not to her. Eden, however, stopped stroking his hair and said enthusiastically, "Yeah! Come on Oscar Wilde, tell us a story." Maddox sat up.

"What kind of story?"

"Any story. A love story," Vivien said knowingly. Her eyes darted to Eden who rolled her own. Maddox groaned. "Love stories aren't my forte."  
"Well then you need the practice."

"All of them are cheesy. Even the tragic ones- those are the cheesiest."

"We didn't ask for a pulitzer prize winner. We asked for a story. A love story. So tell us a story." Vivien had now set down her drink and was lounging back as if getting ready to listen. Maddox looked up at Eden with a "can you believe her" kind of look, but Eden just stared back at him, waiting patiently. In the background, Sebastian had finally drifted off.

"Fine." A love story. He had never written a love story. They didn't appeal to him. But to him, the first duty of a storyteller was to tell a story - no more, no less - and that is what he planned to do.

"Once upon a time-" he started.

"So predictable," Eden murmured. Maddox gave her a stink eye. "What," she protested, "You are and you know it." Maddox continued despite the interruption.

"Once upon a time… that's how all the best stories start: _Once upon a time._ There was a dockman who worked day in and day out at this dock by the sea shore. He would tie up ships and unload boxes and unload people, and he was happy. He was a people person, this dockman, and he liked to listen to them talk. People on ships like to talk a lot, you see, and these people who were unloaded off of these ships talked _a lot._ But the dockman liked it, because day in and day out, when all of these people coming off the big ships began talking, they would tell him _stories_."

"Where's the girl? Is there a girl for this dockman," Eden interrupted. It was something that she did often and it annoyed the bejeezus out of Maddox. "Just listen and find out," he said, and continued:

"They would tell him all these stories about the far away places that they had traveled to and the interesting people that they had met. They told him stories of adventure and mystery and danger, but best of all, they told him stories of romance."

"Finally," murmured Eden, but he ignored her this time.

"Beautiful, exotic women who stowed away on their ships, or gave them shelter in their grand palaces. Men who had fought in battles and killed beasts just to return to their loves. Stories of fantastic tragedy and epic romance surged through the docks like water in rapids. But every night, after listening to these beautiful, fanciful stories, the dockman would return home-up the shore and down the path- to his wife, whom he loved very much."

"Wow, that sure sounded enthusiastic," Eden mumbled, and Vivien laughed. Maddox shushed them both.

"As I was saying," he eyed them both, "He loved his wife very much, and every night she would sit on the porch, waiting for him to return to her, he'd tell her just that- that he loved her very much. In return, she would ask 'How much?' and he would respond with 'Around the world and back.' Every night they would have this exchange before going to bed. They were simple people, the dockman and his wife, with simple lives. But every day the dockman would return to the docks to listen to the stories of people who didn't lead simple lives, and the more he listened to their stories, the more he wished that he could be apart of them. But still, he returned to his wife every night and when she asked him how much he loved her, he would say 'Around the world and back.'

But one day, as he was unloading a box from one of the ships, listening as the crew jovially recounted their run in with a band of pirates, a man came up to him and asked if he had ever worked on a ship before. He told the man that he was but a simple dockman, and that naturally required him to stay on the dock. But the man persisted to ask, 'How would you like to work on a ship?'

The dockman, rather reluctantly, said that he had a wife, and that she needed him to stay on the dock. The man, who introduced himself as a captain of one of the larger ships on the dock, told the dockman that if he ever wanted to get off the dock, there was a place for him on his ship. The dockman thought long and hard about this- though not nearly as long enough or hard enough as he ought to have. But after thinking long and hard, he called out to the captain and ran off the dock and onto the ship."

"He left his wife," Vivien said softly, her eyes wide. He felt bad because she actually looked pretty heartbroken. Eden snorted. "Great story, Maddox. You're gonna make Viv cry."

"Fuck off, no he's not," Vivien protested, trying to harden her voice, but barely succeeding. She took a shaky sip from her martini glass and Eden gave her a 'yeah right' look but urged Maddox to continue anyhow.

"And so he got on the ship," he continued, "And he sailed off to some foreign land, trying his very hardest to forget that by the time nightfall came, his wife would be back at home waiting for him to tell her that he loved around the world and back.

The days came and went in a blur and he couldn't deny that he loved the feelings that the ship inspired. It was a merchant ship, and more often than not he would find himself unloading silks and spices off in different ports- just like he would have done at the dock. But still, whenever there was a huge storm; whenever they were being attacked by greedy pirates; whenever they made port in some foreign, exotic land, he found himself imagining the stories that he would tell. He couldn't wait to step onto land again and laugh about all of their tales with his mates and tell some simple dockman with a simple life all about his grand adventures.

And yet, as days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, this dockman remembered his wife, sitting at home in their simple house, leading a simple life, without her husband beside her. And he remembered how every night he would go home to tell her how he loved her very much. The sea began to feel endless and the ports all looked the same to him, and as the days turned into weeks and weeks into months, he found himself wondering how _she_ would like to hear all of his stories,or whether she even remembered all the ones he told her when he came home.

But one day, some indefinable time after he had left, he arrived back on the dock. The ship had made port, and he discovered that they had found a new dockman- one who looked just as simple and just as happy as he had. When he unloaded the ship and trailed along after his mates- who were laughing, shouting, and regaling the dockman with tales of their adventures (rather different than how he remembered them, I might add)- he did not follow them back onto the boat. Instead, sat down on the edge of the dock, and watched as the ship sailed away into the horizon without him on it. And he sat there for a while, not talking or listening, but just looking.

And when nightfall came and shrouded him in darkness, he finally stood, and he walked away from the dock on the sea shore and down the path to his simple house, where his simple wife sat on the porch, watching him.

He stopped and said, with all the assurance and sincerity that one gets after thinking long and hard about something, 'I love you very much.' And his wife, not yet smiling, said, 'I don't think I believe that.'"

"Nor should she," Eden snorted. Maddox ignored it.

"'But you should,' said the dockman, 'Because I did what I always said I'd do.' And she just continued to gaze at him. 'And what's that?' she asked him. The dockman smiled and walked up the porch to greet his wife, whom he hadn't seen for a long, indefinable amount of time. And he said to her, 'I loved you around the world and back.'"

The two girls awwed at the ending and Maddox gave a joking little bow as they applauded. He was actually quite proud of himself. It hadn't turned too bad for something he had come up with on the spot.

"So she took him back?" Vivien looked just the slightest bit confused.

"Of course she did," Eden said, still smiling faintly, "She loves him too."

"Well she didn't ever really say that did she," Vivien said. She looked like she was contemplating it pretty hard now.

"She had to have loved him. Otherwise she wouldn't have asked him every night. She… well she needed to hear that he loved her as much as she loved him."

"I'm glad that's what you gleaned from the story," Maddox said, smiling at Eden, "Because I just yanked that out of my ass and used repetition to make it sound good."

"Ok shut up you're ruining the moment," Eden laughed as the shoved him. Vivien looked at the two and smiled. Standing finally, she said, "I think that story's all I needed. I'm going to bed now." She grabbed her top bra that was lying casually on the floor by Sebastian's feet and carried that and her shoes out of the room. "Night." She kissed both of them on the cheeks and gave Maddox a hug. "Night, Viv," he whispered.

And he and Eden were left alone.

"It really was a good story," Eden said, "One of your better ones."

"Nah, I've written better. Plus it wasn't really a love story, was it?" Eden shook her head.

"No, it was," she said softly, leaning her head down on his shoulder, "Just not in the way that you imagine love." Maddox looked down at her, but as her head was on his shoulder, he could look her in the eyes.

"What you mean 'the way I imagine love'? Love is- I'm-" but he couldn't finish his thought. He didn't know what he was going to say anyway. Eden was being cryptic and vague- she tended to get that way when she was drunk. He sighed.

"I don't want a Selection."

"No shit."

"I just want to write stories… and talk to you guys…"

Eden was quiet.

"Mostly you, though." She looked up at him and he could finally look into her eyes. Blue-grey. Just as they had always been. But instead of gazing at her blue-grey orbs, his eyes dropped down to her lips - pouty and red as always - and he just couldn't help himself.

His lips crashed onto hers and his hands went straight to her hair. It didn't take long for her to respond, and she reacted enthusiastically. Their mouths attacked each other's, each wanting more, needing more, and struggling to get closer. They needed contact and reassurance and something that told them they weren't as alone as they felt. Far too soon, it ended. Eden pulled away.

" _You're- you're getting married,"_ she rasped, still clutching his shirt, as if any moment now she would drag his mouth back to her own, " _You can't kiss me."_

"Who says I can't," he said, and he brought his lips down on hers once more. She gave in for all of two seconds before pulling away again.

"Stop," he said, now hungry and lusting for more, "Just _stop._ Don't say anything. Don't push me away." Their eyes were locked together, hardly aware that behind them Sebastian was still passed out and drooling.

" _One night,"_ he whispered, his mouth centimeters from hers and itching to close the distance, " _One night before I'm damned to a million nights without you."_

And Eden nodded, allowing herself to be pulled from her seat, out the door, and down the hallway into another bedroom that did not have a snoring Sebastian in it. She allowed herself one last night of passion. She allowed herself to give into impulse without overthinking anything. But in the morning, as she lay awake, beside the future King of Illea, her best friend, she thought about everything.

She thought about the story and the woman who waited and waited in her simple life, for her adventure seeking husband to return to her. She thought about the girls that would enter the palace, and the one girl who would steal his heart and teach him what love truly was. She thought about the Queen, who drank her sorrows away for a man who she hated, because she loved him so damn much.

She thought about all this and more, because what else could she do? She loved a man who didn't know what love was; a man who maybe never would. Or maybe he would find out, and that would be the real tragedy. Because perhaps, on his journey around the world, the sailor would not return to his wife who sat patiently on the porch, and instead find another woman, who would journey the world with him.

* * *

 _I know it's been a hot minute, but I hope that chapter was worth it. I know there a few mistakes, but I'll go back and fix them later._

 _Quick note: AGGHHHH I love love love all the great reviews this story is getting, and I'm so grateful to everyone who put so much work into their characters. It will not go to waste._

 _The next chapter will be out on sunday (I figured I'd write it before I released this one and that way I would be struggling to get out chapters on time) and it will be the last one without the selected! Kind of… I'll mention a few because it'll be the report, but then you'll actually get to meet them! Yay!_

 _Please review again, and I really hope you liked this chapter 3_

 _Luv ya!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**`Chapter Four**_

 _Marvin at the Psychiatrist_

 _A Three Part Mini-Opera_

 _Part One_

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Ilea**_

 _ **Saturday, October 5; 5:05 am**_

Maddox wasn't unfamiliar with the one-night stand procedure, and he and Eden in particular had their own sort of traditions. Typically, whenever they slept together - especially after some sort of drunken stupor - Maddox made absolute certain that he was not in bed when the blond woke up. This was a rather difficult to accomplish, seeing as Eden was quite possibly the lightest sleeper he had ever known, and that was including a member of his own security detail, who's sole duty was to ensure his safety at all times and NEVER fall asleep. But he did it, and while he was under the impression that Eden knew nothing of it, it wasn't the first time he had underestimated her.

This time, however, he was startled to find that before he even had the chance to creep out of her grasp, she was already up and out of bed, dressed in latex and sneakers.

"Did I wake you?" Her question came out as an ill-executed whisper as she continued to fumble about the dark room with her phone flashlight.

"Did yo… um no, no I was," he yawned, "about to get up." She gave him a relief-filled smile.

His eyes narrowed in bewilderment, but he couldn't form any coherent thoughts as his mind was too befuddled with sleep and his impending hangover. He could hardly see her, but by the hazy figure he could make out through the darkness and his drowsy eyes, she was dressed to go to the gym. Not surprising, considering this was a daily routine she had kept since they were 15, but still, he had thought she went later in the morning…

"Well, I was just about to go on a run, so I guess I'll see you at breakfast," she chirped, abandoning the whisper, and wagging her fingers back at him in a girly little wave. His eyebrows cinched.

"Yeah, yeah, breakfast," - _yawn -_ "I'll see you there." She turned to leave, but before she could, Maddox couldn't stop himself from asking, "Are we good?"

She looked back at him, her mouth tightening into a thin-lipped smile, but before he could fully register it, she said, "'Course Maddie. We're _all_ good." She whipped around and the last thing he heard before the door slammed was, " _Later!"_

 _Later? Since when did Eden St. fucking James leave him with "Later"._

Still perplexed, Maddox shook his head and fell back onto his pillow.

"I guess I had nothing to worry about," he murmured to himself, "She's _all good._ It's _all good."_ And he didn't trouble himself about it again.

* * *

Well, evidently, when a girl says that everything is "all good", she means _quite_ the opposite.

Sure, Maddox had always heard that women were complicated and convoluted and twisted and a massive headache for anyone who _attempted_ to brave their depths, but didn't think that applied to _Eden._

It was… _Eden._

But if the past week was any indication, Eden was indeed a woman, and thus prone to the same labyrinth of emotions as other women. Either she was beaming to the point of a grimace at him, or disregarding his presence entirely. She wasn't necessarily avoiding him, but nor was she acting as the slightly neurotic ray-of-sunshine he knew and loved. It was just full-on neurotic, now. She was like a solar eclipse: glowing one moment and barred the next. This threw Maddox for a loop, because for one, he wasn't accustomed to applying the same rules and standards he had for other women to Eden. Eden was different. Not one-of-the-guys so to speak, but also not a sister. He already had a sister- a female cousin too - so God-forbid he curse himself with yet another one. She was somewhere in between. A world solely reserved and designated for _Eden._

As the week progressed, Maddox found himself becoming more and more anxious. Not only was Eden acting distinctly un-Eden like, but Friday seemed to be approaching faster than ever. Soon, he would be hours, minutes, seconds away from seeing his future wife, and the thought gave Maddox a miniature panic attack every time it occurred to him.

The night before, however, after attempting yet another conversation with Eden (this time following dinner, where she abruptly excused herself to go to yet another twilight yoga class, and exited with a breathy " _Later._ "), he came to the brink of unraveling, and did something he had sworn to himself he would never again do.

"Woah, Lightning McQueen, where you goin', " Sebastian asked as Maddox passed briskly by him in the hallway.

"I have an appointment."

"What _appointment_?"

Maddox threw his friend a look. A look that said, "Are you really going to make me lie to you? Because I'll do it. I'll lie to you. But you know the truth."

Sebastian's eyes widened. "You're shitting me." Maddox shrugged.

"It helps."

"I'm sure it does. With _some other woman._ So how about you just do that?"

Maddox gave his friend a semi-cheeky smile. "Too much work. And besides, I happen to like Dr. Trihn. We have… history."

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Ilea**_

 _ **Friday, October 11; 5:00 pm**_

Dr. Laurel Trihn indeed had an extensive history with the Royal Family. Just about everyone in, or closely related to, the living Schreave Clan had been to see her at least once in the past 6 years, and none had let up on seeing her yet. Maddox in particular was a favored client of hers, and when a client is favored by a therapist, that can usually be perceived as a sign of trouble.

Maddox knew all of this, and yet he continued to see her. It didn't matter that he always walked out of her office swearing that he would never return, or that all of his friends and family had vehemently discouraged him from seeing her ever again. He still returned.

And as she sat there across from him, her sleek black hair cascading down her shoulders and her french nails tapping hypnotizingly against her knee, he remembered why he had always failed in breaking this habit.

 _She's beautiful._

And smart. Yes, she was smart. Not a Hawking-level genius, but smart enough to be a therapist, for sure. And you had to be smart to advise people about their fucked-up lives _professionally_ right? Maddox thought so.

Dr. Trihn smiled - a glowing smile, a _beautiful_ smile - and Maddox found himself smiling as well. "I was wondering when you'd turn up on my doorstep, _Gaspard._ "

His middle name. They had established on their first appointment four whole years ago that he it was better he not go by the name she used for his father, and both were content with such an arrangement.

"So was I," he said with a nervous chuckle, "but here I am. Frankly, I wish I wasn't, but… well, you know how it is." Dr. Trihn cocked her head in that observational, shrink-y way that she always did, and he couldn't help but squirm.

"No, I'm afraid I don't. Why don't you tell me?"

Maddox groaned. "C'mon, don't do that."

"Do what?"  
"That thing! That shrinky thing you do-"

"Well, I am a _shrink_ Gaspard," she said, her lips curving into a trade-mark simper.

"No, you know what I mean," the prince sighed, "That thing where you turn the questions back on me when you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. We've known each other long enough and… _intimately enough_ to cut that shit." He rearranged himself on the couch, pulling his leg up self consciously. The doctor took note of this movement.

"I wouldn't be doing my job well if I let that influence our sessions, now would I?" Coy as ever. Beautiful as ever.

"That hasn't stopped you in the past," Maddox murmured almost immaturely, with an eye that dared her to stoop to his level. And yet, she remained impassive, with her simper secured concretely in place.

"Lots of things happened in the past. And that is where they shall remain. We, however, have a duty to live in the present, and deal with our problems presently."

Maddox was on the verge of screaming. Closing his eyes, he growled, "I didn't come here to listen to proverbs."

"No, you came to talk about your problems."

"Yes."

"So talk." She leaned back languidly and poised her pen against the lined notepad. Maddox felt flustered and even more confused than when he came in. He had come here hoping to relieve some of his tension. Bear his load. Perhaps even indulge in an infrequent guilty pleasure. But now he didn't know. Eden was one thing, sure, but there was also the fact that the Selection girls were to be announced _that night_ and here he was, revved up and ready to fuck his therapist.

"I don't know what I want to talk about," he said, rather distantly. Dr. Trihn smiled that all-knowing smile that both infuriated him and turned him on. Jesus, this was unhealthy.

"Want me to take a shot?" He nodded. She sighed.

"You're lost, Gaspard. I know that you think the trip abroad was a good idea, and maybe it was. Maybe you needed that separation, that time, to process your life and discover how you truly want to live it. Maybe time away from your family was a good thing and it gave everyone a chance to cool down, chill out, take a beat. Or," she paused, tilting her chin to look at him over her horn-rimmed glasses, "Or that didn't happen at all. And that separation did nothing but separate, and stunt your emotional growth. That wasn't your life, Gaspard. Whatever you did abroad - traveling, studying, relaxing, writing, whatever - it wasn't your life. Your life is here, and it's happening right now. And you know that I'm not here to judge-"

"Really? Because that seems to be all you're doing," Maddox bit out.

"I know. I know," she said, trying to quiet him, "But I'm simply trying to give you my _professional_ opinion, and that opinion is that you need to face your demons Gaspard. Because perhaps, just perhaps, they're not as bad as they seem."

Maddox was quiet for a moment. It wasn't often that he took advantage of his right to silence in a therapy session, but he was sure taking advantage of it then. The moon rose tentatively in the sky above, like child looking into a room after he had just heard his parents arguing. Maddox watched it was a discerning gaze, though not contemplative. He did not feel contemplative. He felt _ridiculed_ and he ridiculed the moon. Before Dr. Trihn could break the silence, Maddox was out off the couch and calling to his driver to pick him up outside.

The evening air outside was hot and sticky, leaving Maddox's t-shirt pasted onto his back. The office of Dr. Trihn was strategically located in a renovated beach cottage just beyond the property of the Angeles Palace, and just beyond the reach of the press. It was specially designed for high profile clients, and Maddox had occasionally seen well-known actors, actresses, and emotionally stunted socialites driving in after him. Of course, no one ever acknowledged his own or his family's presence at the office, because he was in, out, and behind the tinted windows of his sudan before they could even catch a glimpse of his hair.

On the car ride back to the palace, Maddox contemplated what Dr. Trihn had said. Well, not so much contemplated as brooded out the window, swearing to himself that she didn't know what the hell she was talking about. The issue wasn't that he had left- the issue was that he had to return! He wasn't becoming King anytime soon, or at least he hoped beyond hope that he wasn't. That trip wasn't even a trip. That was his life.

She didn't know what she was talking about. She couldn't.

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Ilea**_

 _ **Friday, October 11; 8:00 pm**_

The Report was off to a rocky start. Eden almost hadn't shown up, but after much poking, prodding, and persuasion from Vivien, she showed up and greeted everyone as if all was fine and dandy. Maddox noticed her reluctance to speak with him, but instead of feeling hurt, he began to feel indignant. Vexed. Angry. They had slept together! So what? It wasn't like they hadn't done it before. What gave her the right to ignore him; hurt him; kick him when he was down? It was consensual- they both knew that!

But some part of him knew that he shouldn't resent her. Some part of him knew that he shouldn't have taken advantage, and that she was entitled to her regret. Some part of him - some part deep, deep down, buried in his subconscious - knew that she was in love with him.

But that part of him wasn't at the wheel, and he didn't care to get it there.

The stage manager urged the prince to get in position on stage, and he obeyed. Once he was in position beside his mother, kissing her on the cheek and returning her smile of encouragement, said stage manager motioned from behind the curtain _3 2 1…._

And the curtain rose.

The audience roared as the curtain rose and the orchestra below came to life. Maddox plastered a smile on his face and squeezed his mother's hand. This was as big a moment for her as it was for him. Mickey pranced around the stage jubilantly, basking in the cheers from the crowd, his smile practically radiating energy.

"Welcome! Welcome, Welcome, Welcome," he cheered, and the crowd seemed to swell, "Wow, ok, you would think that I said Prince Maddox would be giving us a strip tease!"  
More quips and one-liners followed this as the Report continued. This was typical: Mickey would give an opening statement, invite the crowd to stand for the National Anthem and pledge allegiance to the Royal Family, and they would proceed on schedule. King Maddox and a few various advisors would give their reports on the state of the nation, address any new developments and/or scandals, and sometimes there would be an entertainment segment, where a celebrity of some sort would be interviewed and perform. Maddox was oftentimes drawn into these little talk show moments for obvious reasons, but this time, he _was_ the talk show moment.

"So, Prince Maddox," Mickey said, "You're about to see the face of your future wife."

"And 35 five future ex-girlfriends, yes," Maddox said, attempting humor. To his relief, the crowd laughed.

"Feeling a bit glass half-empty I see," Mickey replied.

"I wouldn't say that, no. What's a proverb for feeling like you're about to spontaneously combust?"

"Glass spontaneously combusting.

"Aha, got it," Maddox said, laughing more out of sheer panic than amusement.

"I know you're nervous, Your Highness," Mickey said, locking eyes with Maddox , "So we'll just do one more question and rip this thing off like a bandaid, alright?"  
"Quick and painless. I'm all ears," said Maddox.

"Ok then, here we go: What qualities are you looking for in your future princess?" Mickey locked eyes with Maddox and gave only the slightest hint of a shrug as if to say " _Sorry, you know I had to bud."_ Maddox felt his lungs swell and his back straighten as he looked straight at the camera for this one.

"My mind is not on future princess. In fact, my mind hasn't even crossed into that territory. My mind is on my _future_ , and who I want to be in it. And I want someone who makes me smile, and laugh, and… I don't know, cry, but in a good way. I want someone that makes everyday an adventure and makes every night a dream. I want someone who makes my heart race every time I see them and makes my mind go numb. I want an epic romance. I want love."

 _And_ that _is how you give an orgasm to over 100 million women in less than a minute,_ he thought mischievously.

The crowd went wild. Everyone in the theater was screaming, shouting, cheering, and crying, except for one person. Eden stood in the wings watching Maddox with doleful eyes. Not because she was jealous. Not because she wanted him for herself. Eden watched the prince with pity in her gaze because, as eloquent as his words were, he didn't know shit about what he wanted.

But the program continued, and about a minute later, Mickey Marlon was calling out, "Lady Marguerite Li of Allens!" The image of a girl with sleek black hair and high cheekbones appeared on screen behind them, and although she was no model like Eden herself and the girls she hung around, there was no denying that Marguerite Li was quite pretty. And Maddox seemed to notice it as well.

It was like a flood gate had been opened, because after Marguerite, names were pouring from Mickey's mouth faster than water from a shower head- or so it seemed to Maddox and all who were close to him.

Marguerite was followed by Lady James Carmichael, whose name prompted Mickey to make a quick transgender joke, which he retracted immediately. In looking at Lady James' picture, however, it could not be denied that the dark haired, cocoa skinned beauty was, in fact, feminine.

Ladies Ruby, Harper, Camille, Maurie, and a few other Maddox could hardly remember followed. He did remember Lady Mackenzie Bailey, whose smile seemed almost pixie-like. Spunky and undeniably playful.

Lady Colette Rosamonde, however, caught his eye. Her smile was brilliant, though not as brilliant as her burning red hair. It looked almost sunkissed, and by the looks of her rounded, dimpled cheeks, she definitely was. Her pouty lips were painted red, but just before he could commit her face to memory, it disappeared.

The next couple were quite well known. Lady Celia Calhoun was the daughter of Carolina governor, James Calhoun, with whom Maddox had been briefly acquainted. While he didn't know Celia all that well, her father's reputation preceded him, and Maddox hoped dearly that the apple had fallen very far from the tree. Lady Catherine Meauve, on the other hand, was someone whose name had crossed Maddox's ears more times than he could cont. For one, she was one of his sister's favorite designers, and he had frequented a number of her shows in Paris. For another, she was one of the top up and coming names in the fashion industry as a whole. And she was in his Selection. And she was beautiful.

Lady Isolde Eisley wasn't entirely a surprise, seeing as she was one of the brightest young stars in Hollywood, and was thus expected to apply. If it weren't for her distinctive round eyes and golden hair, however, she might have been overlooked. She typically went by the name "Clary Elliot" and though it wasn't a secret that her real name was Isolde, people tended to forget about it.

Other ladies caught Maddox's eye- Innana Amar-Sin, for example, who was and unmistakable beauty with her thick, dark hair and kohl shaded eyes. She wasn't as intimidating in appearance as Ladies Isra and Zbiere, or as innocent as Ladies Zsofia, Jae, and Sakura but there was a softness about her look that intrigued Maddox and almost… comforted him?

Ladies Blythe and Leona were both very pretty- Blythe with her red hair and Leona with her winning smile. Lady Ayleania's blue green eyes were captivating but her composure seemed quite stiff. Lady Odette, with her mahogany hair and sweet smile, appeared to Maddox like sunshine in a bottle. Lady Dorthea Fairchild had a unique beauty about her that Maddox couldn't quite pinpoint, but he knew that he liked her freckles and her blue-grey eyes. Lady Evolet, however, was nothing less than gorgeous and you could see in her soft green eyes that she knew it. There was no sense of arrogance in her smile, glowing as it was, but he knew instinctively that this was a girl whose beauty had never gone united. She was sensual yet classical and he was captivated.

His trace was broken by the appearance of another face and the announcement of another name that made the crowd roar and Maddox do a double take.

"Lady Valentina Vitali of Sonage!" Even Mickey's voice broke a little when he said this.

Valentina? Val? This name raised quite a few eyebrows backstage, mostly from Sebastian, Eden, and Vivien, who were all well acquainted with Val.

Valentina was a competitive dancer on the popular reality tv show _Dancing Dolls,_ and it had been recently rumored that she and Sebastian were secretly dating. Maddox knew those rumors were false, partly because he knew both of them and partly because he knew that Sebastian saw Val as more of a sister than an ass to tap. He had no clue as to why Valentina would sign up for the Selection, because they had established long ago that they wouldn't stray beyond friendship. He certainly didn't see her as more than a friend. Did she feel the same?

 _Yeah, probably. Don't worry Maddy, 'ol boy, it's probably just a mistake. Don't even worry about it. Trust me, you have bigger problems than Valentina Vitali._

Like the fact that the Report was drawing to a close and Mickey was reading off the last Selected name, which Maddox only caught the tail end of. _Something-ly._

"And there you have it, folks! Our Ladies of the Selection! Our Daughters of Ilea! Our future Queen!" The crowd pumped there fists and shrieked their approval and briefly, Maddox mind wandered to the 36 girls out there who were either copying the crowd, or himself: staring out at nothing in dead silence.

* * *

 _ **So uhhhhh hi?**_

 _ **If any of you are even reading this story anymore, I am ETERNALLY grateful and EXCEEDINGLY sorry. I know that everyone has lives, but I think it's not terrible to use them as an excuse! Sometimes it gets in the way and for a couple months it did. But I won't let that happen again, and I will have the next chapter out by the end of the week just to prove my dedication.**_

 _ **If you're still reading, please tell me. Because I'd LOVE to know. I probably don't deserve it, but I still want to continue so I just need to know if I have to do it with or without the girls you submitted. If their forms aren'ts done, frankly, I don't care. We can just talk about them. Discuss them. Whatever. It's all good man. I'm feeling at peace with the world right now (mostly because I've already gotten into college and gotten a scholarship so like nothing really matters anymore).**_

 _ **So uhhhh is it too much to ask for a review. Probably. Ok, yeah, don't feel the need to review, just know that I'd REALLY REALLY LOVE YOU if you did. Plus it's just nice to know who's interested in the story.**_

 _ **Ok, well, see you guys friday! Kisses!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

 _We've never seen you before_

 _You've never seen us before_

 _What a pleasant place to finally meet_

 _We vocally take your hand_

 _We vocally shake your hand_

* * *

It had been over a week. _Over. A freaking. Week_. Eden didn't think that she had ever gone so long without speaking to Maddox, and the absence felt unsettling to say the least. With how long they had known each other, she had been under the impression that they could get over this! I mean, he was the one that had gotten her tampons on her first period. She was the one that had sat there and watched all that gay porn with him when he was trying to decipher his sexuality. She even researched all the top rated franchises in the genre! They knew all of each other's secrets- hell, she was the only one that knew he still watched _Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses_ when he was feeling a little depressed. They were Best Friends. _Best Friends._ It wasn't a novelty- not to her. And yet, they hadn't spoken in over a week.

She knew that this was her own doing. After all, she had never been so passive aggressive towards anyone in her life, much less Maddox Schreave. But she needed to do it. Maddox was always the first one to leave after they slept together, but it somehow always left her feeling… inconsequential. Not alone or dirty just...unimportant. And she didn't like that. So this time she made sure that she was the first to leave, and until now, she had avoided said feeling of insignificance entirely. Now, she just felt downright ignored.

Eden couldn't decide whether she was grateful or deeply concerned with Maddox's sudden ambivalence towards her. On the one hand, she had been the one to push him away. It was her own fault that they weren't talking in the first place, and after seeing all of those beautiful, smiling faces flash across the screen on Friday's report, she reasoned that it was better that way. Easier. Why? She did not know, or rather, refused to admit to herself, but still it was easier. On the other, hand, he was her best friend. And that meant something.

 _I'm not jealous,_ she reasoned with herself, _I merely feel… challenged, is all. That's it. He's my best friend, and I feel challenged. He'll be spending all of his time with these girls, so what time will he have for me, huh? When will we be able to hang out, have fun, watch the 12 Dancing Princesses? Be Best Friends? How long until one of them replaces-_

But she cut herself off. No. She would not be replaced- she _refused_ to be replaced. The mere notion was inconceivable.

If those girls thought that they could just prance into the palace like cocksure fillies right out of the gate, they had another thing coming. Oh yes, they had another thing coming. Eden wasn't going to hurt them- of course not! She wouldn't touch the girls. But she'd show them what they were up against.

Maddox would marry one of them, that was fine. She didn't want to become the Queen.

 _The Queen…_

The Queen who fell sloshed and stumbling against her in the hall; the Queen whom Eden had to drag back to her room in secret. So miserable. No, she didn't want to be the Queen. One of the fillies could have that title. But none - absolutely NONE - of them would take her place in Maddox's eyes.

 _Maybe I'll just have to remind him of that place… maybe I need to reassert my position…_

She stood amid the wreckage that had become her closet, a towel wrapped securely around her breasts, her blonde locks curled and pulled pack in a ruby red scarf. Her eyes scanned the glittering shelves and hooks upon which designer clothing hung lasciviously. One dress in particular, though, stuck out from the rest, and her hand reached out mechanically to pick it from its place among the rest.

It was _mouthwatering._

The fabric was almost as thick as battle armour, yet it clung to her curves like a full body corset. The sleeves were full length, but the dress itself only came down to her mid thigh, and even less when she wore heels. But the designs…

The dress itself was a work of art, with regal etchings of teal and white stitched together with golden chains. A belt of pearls and rich leather drew her already tiny waist in, but she didn't care. When her golden hair was let down and her lips coated in their signature cherry red, Eden looked like a goddess.

* * *

When she arrived in the dining hall downstairs, Eden was pleasantly surprised to see that nothing had gone wrong just yet. Tables were set and name cards distributed. She knew that just a floor below, through the doors to the left of her, an army of chefs had already laid out each and every course, with at least three pots brewing coffee, and hand squeezed juice being chilled in their vault of a freezer. Maddox, for his part, seemed to recognize none of this as his eyes darted wildly around the room, as if expecting each and every table to collapse simultaneously the minute he looked away. His eyes found Edens.

For a moment, each of them stared a bit awkwardly at the other, not sure what to do. Eden heaved a deep breath and attempted an encouraging smile. What she thought appeared pathetic, however, seemed to give Maddox enough courage to smile in return and gesture for her to come over. The blonde felt an enormous weight that she didn't know had been there lift off her chest, and flipped her hair confidently out of her eyes, striding to meet her best friend.

"Morning," she said softly.

He smiled. "Morning."

"Everything seems to be going really well… honestly better than I expected," she gave a feeble laugh, hoping to ease the tension.

"Yeah, well, if there's two things that Sully's good at, one of them is definitely party planning," grumbled Maddox, sounding rather accusatory as opposed to complimentary. This wasn't in the least surprising.

"And the other?"

Maddox side-eyed her, and made and obscene gesture. The blonde snorted. "Oh right. I forgot." They shared a grin, and for some reason, that was all that needed to be said. Past offenses forgotten… for the time being.

"So, where is everyone? I thought for sure that Viv would be down here before I had even woken up."

"Oh, she was. I got down here and she was already rearranging place cards and removing unnecessary flower details. She's in the kitchen now, working out timing for the coffee to be brought out."

"The answer to that is 'as soon as humanly possible,'" Eden quipped, "What about Sebastian and Brennan? And are we even expecting Apollo to show up?"

"Right here, princess," Sebastian's voice rang out as he strode into the dining hall, Apollo swaggering along behind him, his hair askew and his black button down halfway undone.

Sebastian, to his credit, looked properly dressed for brunch in his usual, urban sort of way. Where Maddox had donned a navy blue pant and matching sports jacket, Sebastian was dressed for yachting in white slacks, a tight-fitting black t-shirt, tan sports coat, and black loafers. For all his faults, the man knew how to dress.

"I take it that you two are talking again," Sebastian asked, giving Maddox a big pat on the back, "It's about time. What better way to make up with your best friend than when you're about to meet your girlfriend. Or, girlfriends." Both Maddox and Eden threw scalding looks of irritation Sebastian's way, and he put his hands up in surrender.

"We're fine," Eden said tightly, "Now where is Brennan?"

"Just what I was about to ask," Maddox jumped in, trying desperately to take control of the situation, "And can we get Vivien back up here? I have to talk to you all about something."  
"Giving us a pep-talk, man? Sorry, but shouldn't it be the other way around?" Eden flicked Sebastian on the ear and he shut up.

"I'm here! I'm here!" Vivien came striding into the hall, the sleeves of her voluminous white gold dress fluttering behind her as she walked. Her shoulders were left bare as the fabric slid down her arms and her chestnut hair was slicked back into a low ponytail. Her long legs were tanned, her lips glossy, and her amber eyes shone with exhilaration, as is she had just flown in from the balcony on a sharp breeze.

"Well you look cheery," Eden said, giving her a peck on the cheek as she entered the fold.

"Do I? I feel a little neurotic," Vivien laughed.

"Welcome to the club," someone mumbled.

"I've been downstairs to check with the chefs, and they're good to serve the food _after_ you have the initial meetings- but you're going to have to narrow the timing of those down to an hour and a half. Maybe 45 minutes at the most. And we're going to have to get the girls down here quicker in order to make up for the time they need to keep the food warm, so I sent word to the ladies maids to have them down here in 5 min-"

" _Five minutes?_ "

"Yes, five minutes. Don't interrupt. I also had the table cards rearranged for the idea that you had-"

"Well I haven't even explained the idea and you want the girls down in _five minutes?"_

"Wait, what idea," Eden interrupted the spew of words coming from both Maddox and Vivien. Both looked a little frazzled. Maddox took a deep breath.  
"Well, I had this idea, but I need Brennan here to-"

"Did someone say my name?"

And there she was.

Princess Brennan Moira Schreave, youngest daughter of the King and Queen of Ilea, was sashaying into the royal dining hall in ripped boyfriend jeans, an oversized Metallica t-shirt, and a torn dress that looked like the cross between a tu-tu and a trashbag. To complete the look - her "look" being total and complete dysfunction - were ankle-rise metallic silver boots, with at least a 4 inch heel on them.

Both Eden and Vivien almost had a spontaneous aneurysm on the spot, but Maddox couldn't help the euphoric smile that erupted onto his face. Opening his arms, he said, "C'mere psycho." And his little sister ran into them, jumping into her brother's arms and burying her face in his neck.

"Thought I'd give 'em hell for ya," she whispered slyly, "They can't marry my brother without understanding the psyche of his deranged family." Maddox felt his heart swell and he held her closer, eliciting smiles from those surrounding them. Someone cleared their throat.

"As adorable as this is," Vivien said, "And as much as I want to bash in your head with those _horrific_ boots, Brennan, we're down to 3 minutes."

"Right, ok," Maddox said, letting his sister down and rearranging his suit, "So, I had an idea that, well, you guys are as close to family as I'm ever going to get. And your opinions matter to me in just about everything that I do. These girls are… well I'm not sure how many of them I'm really gonna _get to know._ They could all just be serving me shit on a silver platter. So I want all of you to get to know them and to tell me who you think I should eliminate today… because there's going to be a lot."

"Wait, how many? And how do you want us to get to know them, we're at different tables," Eden asked, apprehension laced in her voice.

"Well, I'm going to be getting rid of 11-"

"What?"

"Seriously?"

"Are Mom and Dad ok with this," asked Brennan softly, raising an eyebrow.

"They wouldn't be," Maddox said, heaving a breath and trying in vain to quiet his friends, "But I don't want 36 girl just stewing around in the palace. I don't want to go out with all of them and I don't want to drag this thing out longer than I have to. The sooner this gets done, this sooner I get to… well, I don't know. Leave, I guess. But if I can announce that 11 girls are leaving today, then they can't question me. They can just forbid me from letting more girls go like that ever again, but they can't forbid what they don't know about."

"But how are we getting to know these girls," Sebastian asked, "I mean, not complaining or anything, but…" Vivien pinched him before he could continue.

"He's going to make us sit at tables with them," Eden said, catching Maddox's eye. He nodded. The blonde closed her eyes and sighed.

"There will be 7 tables: One for our parents, Sully, whatever, and then another 6 for each of us."

"You get a table too," Brennan asked. Maddox nodded.

"I arranged for each of us to have one table with 6 girls each," Vivien said, jumping in, "Your place cards are all set."

"Does Sully know about this," Brennan asked, looking to Vivien instead of Maddox, though his eyes jumped to her.

"Yeah. He actually thought that the idea was great, and had a couple of suggestions as to who we should be paired with-"

"Great," Maddox murmured. But he didn't have time to elaborate on his complaints, because just then, a maid entered, announcing that the Selected were ready and waiting to be seated. All 6 friends looked to each other and to Maddox for confirmation. He nodded. They each went to their tables, and Maddox headed out to the balcony where he would be conducting the interviews. Once everyone was in place - maids out of sight, servers lining the walls - Maddox looked to the maid and said, "Let them in."

She left the room, and it was Sully who opened the floodgates.

Silks, satins, tulle, and all manner of fabric toppled out of the doors as 36 young ladies rushed to find their seats. It was beyond chaos and Maddox gave himself a pat on the back for deciding to let 11 of them go right off the bat. It would be a lot quieter that way. He himself was already seated on the balcony to the right of the doors, beyond the reach of the girls and unable to help his friends as they tried desperately to get everyone in their respective seats. Finally, after 10 minutes of chatter, everyone was seated and looking around in awe at the spectacle that was the dining hall. Maddox even heard a few girls say that it was the most elegant meal they had ever attended, which he was sure had Vivien preening.

The King and Queen entered from the doors opposite the balcony, silencing the room as seats scrapped the floor in an effort to stand and great the Royals. Donatella beamed at all the girls, doing her best to look as inviting as she could in 4 inch heels and a crown. Her husband, however, opted for a more intimidating demeanor, keeping his head high and eyes straight as he wound his way towards the table at the top of the room. Ladies bowed as the royal couple passed them, but their deference was not so strong that a few light giggles couldn't be heard around the room. This was, after all, a royal palace, and though they were dressed like it, they were not yet royal.

When the King and Queen took their place as the head of the room, Sully stood and made a quick gesture for the girls to be seated. They did so, murmuring to themselves along the way. Sully cleared his throat.

"Ladies, you all look absolutely stunning today. We just want to take a moment to welcome you to your first day at the palace, and to honor you as Ladies of the Selection," he said, making a sweeping gesture as the ladies in the room applauded, giggling amongst themselves. Maddox thought he heard Brennan make a ' _WHOOHOO'_ sound.

"The Selection is a tradition that has been passed from generation to generation, surviving civil war, epidemic, and the demise of the caste system. It is a tradition that has held our country together for centuries, and has crowned Queens like our sparkling Queen Donatella," he said, gesturing to the Queen, but not meeting her eye. She did not meet his, and instead tightened her hands in her lap, smiling graciously around the room. "At the end of this" Sully continued, "one of you will be asked to carry on that tradition- to take the hand of Prince Maddox Schreave in holy matrimony, and to become the future Queen of our grand nation."

Maddox felt insides go cold and his skin go hot. While the ladies inside applauded feverishly, Maddox thought instead that he might concoct a fever, and sat stewing in silence.

"As you all know, today is the first meeting. Prince Maddox will be speaking to each one of you one at a time, and afterwards breakfast will be served. However, we don't want to keep you waiting, so in the meantime, waiters will be coming around the tables with coffee, juice, water, and a variety of fruits and toast until the interviews are over. When we call your name, please exit to the balcony on the right for your meeting with the prince. Thank you for your time, and I wish you all the best of luck."

* * *

Maddox hadn't recognized the presence of the first girl until she snapped her fingers in front of his eyes.

" _Wha-"_ he exclaimed, jumping slightly in his seat when he saw the girl sitting there, her honey eyes wide with unexpressed laughter.

"It's an quite an honor to meet you Your Highness, but perhaps we should do this another time," she quipped jovially, laughing as he attempted to arrange himself in a way that didn't suggest he had mentally fallen asleep. However, upon looking up at the girl again, Maddox found that she really couldn't care less.

"God, um, yes- I mean no - I'm just uh…" Maddox sighed, giving up on composure. The honey-eyed girl seemed to as well.

"Noooo you almost had it! You were so close to forming an _actual_ sentence- go on, try again." Her eyes twinkled with mischief and Maddox found himself rolling his own as he said, "What a pleasure to meet you."

"There you go! Now we've almost made our way through an actual greeting," she said, holding out her hand, "Hi. My name is Sakura Saison. What's yours?"

Maddox grinned and reached out to grip her hand. "Maddox Schreave. You may also know me by my stage name 'His Highness Prince Maddox Schreave of Ilea.'"

"Yeah, that sounds kinda familiar," Sakura said, still smiling, "It's nice to meet you."  
"And you as well," he replied.

Sakura sat back in her seat, and Maddox noticed for the first time how stunning she actually was. Sure, all the Selection ladies were inherently beautiful, but Sakura had an edge to her that he subconsciously associated with his sister. Her features were petite and feminine, with choppy-cut honey blond hair that just brushed her shoulders and full, dark eyelashes that framed her honey brown eyes. She was dressed almost scantily in a lacy black dress that gave full view of the leotard she wore beneath it, and accentuated her cinched waist with a matching black belt. She wore an ascot around her neck and sunglasses atop her head, as if she were lounging on a beach on Dominica instead of in an interview with the Royal Prince.

"I see you came dressed to impress," he said slyly, relying his charisma and their well established sense of banter to get away with that line. Sakura laughed and raised an eyebrow.

"You like it? I thought that since you're forced to remain celibate until you find a wife, then I might as well tease you with what you're missing." She wiggled her eyebrows and Maddox threw his head back to laugh.

"You had to remind me," he whined, pouting a bit as she shrugged. They continued their banter for another 3 minutes, and Maddox found that he was enjoying himself more and more. The weight was lifting, and as he learned more about Sakura, the weight seemed almost nonexistent. She was a nightclub owner, he learned, and often spent time there working, playing, or just hanging out. She was a night owl, like himself, and they both preferred tequila over a more sophisticated liquor. By the time she left, Maddox was already feelings more comfortable with the Selection and his new girlfriends.

The next few ladies weren't quite as exciting. He was, however, intrigued by Lady Inanna Amar-Sin, who composed herself with more grace and regality than he had seen from his the members of his own family in quite a long time. She had ink running down the extent of her spine, along her arms, and around her hands; beautiful cuneiform lettering that she explained was a tribute to her namesake - Inanna, the Sumerian Queen of Heaven - trailed her back, and henna coated her hands. He was curious and enraptured by her, but when he asked her about the tattoos on her arms - intending to say that he had often wondered whether he might get one on his own - she stiffened, and a maid arrived to say that their time was up.

Lady Isolde was a delight- the charming golden girl he remembered her to be. He wanted to ask about her parents, and how she was getting along since their death, but thought instantly that it was better to keep things light and airy.

Lady Jae Kang, he learned, was mute as well as a model, and thus had a translator beside her, conveying to him the meaning behind her rapid hand motions. He had picked up a bit of sign language in various diplomatic lessons when he was younger, but knew nowhere near enough to communicate with her seamlessly.

 _That might be an issue,_ he thought distantly as she signed to him the story of a trip she took to Paris for a stunt competition, _but it's an issue I'll deal with later._ What she lacked in vocal ability, she certainly made up for in energy.

Thus far, he was only halfway though the girls, and was pleased to find that he already had a few he wanted to send home. Lady Carolyn hardly uttered 10 words throughout the entirety of their time together, instead opting to either nod, shake her head, or answer "yes Your Highness," all while simpering and giggling at his every word. Lady Athena, for all her excess beauty, could not make up for her lack of brains, and probably didn't even realize her fault in asking, "Do you know whether Sebastian Donovan is seeing anyone?" To that question, he answered, "No, I believe he's single," and sent her on her way.

The past 3 had been mind numbingly boring, and Maddox found himself not only excited, but utterly relieved when Valentina Vitali popped her head out the door and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think that this is going to work out between us." Maddox felt his weariness dissolve as he stood to give the brunette a hug and said, "Hey Val."

"It's not you, it's me," she continued, ignoring his refusal to join into the joke, "Or wait, no, it's definitely you. I could never date a guy with that much hair gel." She gave him a sly grin, poking at his hair.

"Then I have no idea why you would date Bash, of all people," he replied.

She groaned and rolled her eyes, "Funny guy, funny guy. Someone in there is a very lucky girl."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask: Why did you sign up to be one of those girls. No offense, but I didn't really think we had that kind of relationship…"

"We don't. My mother would really like it if we did, though," she said, her shoulders slumping.

"Ah. Well far be it for me to disappoint Miss Ana," he replied.

"No, not far be it. Please, please dear god, disappoint Miss Ana," Valentina begged, giggling again. It was good to see her giggle. Maddox was one of the very few people in the world who had the privilege of seeing the Dancing Doll smile, and he considered it an honor. Val's "character" on the reality show was always viewed as "the quiet one" or the "stuck up one." And she did have introverted tendencies around those she wasn't familiar with, but once you cracked her shell, she made it worth your while.

There had been rumors a while back that she, Maddox, and Sebastian were caught in a tragic love triangle, which they had all thought was exceedingly funny. Eden and Vivien, however, did not. For some reason, both girls were a bit tense around Valentina, and Val around them. Maddox thought that it was just a girl thing- rivalry and whatnot. But for some reason, in spite of Maddox and Sebastian's insistence to the contrary, Eden felt assured that Valentina really was a stuck up reality show brat. Vivien wasn't as aggressive towards the ballerina, but she did tend to avoid Valentina whenever possible. Maddox didn't know why. They always seemed to get along swimmingly whenever they were in the same company.

"I didn't think I'd get in, which is why I didn't tell you," she said, settling into her seat, "But now that I'm here, I thought that you might like to keep me around for a little while. I definitely need the break, and I could give you some inside information on your future wife." Her demeanor had settled into it's relaxed, sincere nature and Maddox smiled, knowing that yes, the Selection would be far less painful with Valentina Vitali easing the strain.

"I would like that very much."

"Good. Because I found a few good contenders for your future wife."

"I'm all ears."

Valentina's recommendations included Lady Leona Benedict, who Maddox had met earlier and was glad to hear was just as sincere and lively as he had thought her to be. She had traveled to every continent except Antarctica, and in their conversation, they had discussed several different ways in which they might be able check that box as well. Maddox was relieved Val shared his opinion of her.

She also listed Lady Colette Rosamonde, who Maddox remembered to be the rosy cheeked redhead from the Report. Her smile was vibrant, and her personality did not disappoint. She was right after Valentina, striding onto the balcony in a blush pink midi dress that wrapped around her neck and exposed her entire back.

"At ease soldier," Colette joked when he stood to greet her, "Oh, wait is that ok that I said that? Should I curtsey or something?" Maddox chuckled when she attempted to perform a poor excuse for a curtsey.

"No no please stop," he said, still laughing and guiding her up by her arm, "If I were to insist on formality, it would only make this process a hundred times more painful for all of us."

Colette snorted, a piece of her fiery hair blowing into her mouth. She spat it out and began swiping her hair out of her face. Maddox chortled at her struggle, but she finally tucked her hair back and said, "Um, Hi! I'm Colette. _Wow_ that took a lot of effort."  
"Well, you got there eventually. And it's a pleasure," Maddox said, a smile still lurking on his lips, as he took her hand in his own and kissed it. Instead of blushing, her smile simply widened and she said, "Wow, princes still kiss hands? That didn't die with the curtseys?"  
"No, we only do it for the _exceptionally_ lovely ladies. That's a beautiful dress by the way," he said, guiding her to the chairs.

"Oh, you like it? I told my maids to go for 'shipwrecked princess turned tropical island lounge singer." She gave a little pose before sitting down beside Maddox, and he didn't care to tell her that everyone else had sat across from him. He snapped his fingers.

" _That's_ what it reminded me of!"

"Exactly!"

"Exactly. So… Colette, tell me something about yourself. What do you do?" He was already enjoying himself with this girl, and for some reason, she was _exactly_ how he had imagined her just looking at her picture. She was just as dazzling as her picture, maybe even more so.

Colette feigned deep thought and kicked her left leg over her right, drawing Maddox's attention downward. His eyes widened only a fraction of an inch. He tried on to stare, but Colette caught his gaze immediately.

"Well, as you can see," she said, folding her hands over her knee, "I have a prosthetic leg."

Maddox flinched, feelings himself blush. He tried to stutter out an excuse, saying that he wasn't staring (he was) and he didn't want to ask (he did) and he didn't think it was important (it wasn't… he was just caught off guard...). But she stopped him mid-excuse.

"Trust me, it's fine. I'm used to that look. It's not offensive or anything-"  
"I didn't mean it to be offensive-" Maddox interrupted.

"No, I know you didn't," she dismissed him, swiping her hand and making a 'pssshh puh-lease' face, "It's uh… its a cancer thing. I mean, I had bone cancer as a kid and this is just… well, you know, it's a different kind of scar. No big deal."

It had gotten awkward, and Maddox couldn't stop mentally face-palming himself.

 _So she has a prosthetic leg, you tactless fool! Don't be an ass! And wipe that dumb look off your face, you're a prince for god sake!_

"You're uncomfortable," she said, still eyeing him with an apprehensive smile.

"No! No no no, I mean, yes, now that you've said it I'm kind of caught off guard but-"

"Seriously! It's ok."

"No it's not, I'm being tactless," he blurted out, his words coming up like vomit and burning his tongue. He caught himself and took a deep breath. Attempting an awkward smile, he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I've been told that I can be a tad bit insensitive and blunt. But I'm working on it." He smiled awkwardly and she smirked.

"Not so much of a prince charming after all, huh?" They shared a smile but before he could respond, the maid interrupted them to say, "Your Highness, the time is up."

Maddox tried to ask for only a moment more, but felt soft hands touch his own and looked back over Colette. She locked her eyes on his and said in rapid fire, "I'm a cruise ship hostess for Royal Blue Cruises. I have been for about 3 years now. My favorite drink is a passion fruit shake, and my favorite candy is ring pops. I never leave home without metal straws or other stainless steel utensils because I believe in saving the sea turtles. I like surfing, sailing, traveling and anything else related to that. I have a prosthetic leg, and I hope that you're not embarrassed for noticing it. I also hope that I'll see you again some time." And she kissed his hand.

* * *

The rest of the girls passed in a blur, some leaving more distinct impressions than others, and before he knew it, Maddox was back at his table. The girls that Vivien had chose to sit him with were quite a relief, as he hadn't decided to cut any of them. Beside him sat Zbiere Basakeria, who had asked him to call her Basa upon their initial meeting. She was an acrobat, and though he was initially intimidated by her stony expression, but soon became intrigued when her tongue was found to be sharp and her conversation witty. It also didn't hurt that she was stunning in an almost feral way, with her fox eyes and angular cheekbones.

The table party also included Ladies Leona, Isra, Dorthea, Maurie, and (to Maddox's embarrassment and pleasure) Colette. Leona had already engaged Basa in a lively discussion about her acrobatics, although Basa had seemed a little caught off guard by the wide eyed blonde. Opposite Maddox, Isra Nimr sat serenely between Colette and Dorthea, who were animatedly exchanging stories about their arrival at the palace- specifically the makeover process. Every now and then, Isra would jump in with a sly remark that would make the other two burst into a fit of giggles, and then she'd silently slip back, admiring her work. At first, Isra seemed almost statuesque, her charcoal, cat-like eyes scanning the room with an acute intensity. However, as the conversation progressed and her contributions became more and more impressive, her rigid limbs began to uncoil and loosen, like a cat stretching out its limbs. But while all the other girls were conversing independently, Maurie had chosen to commandeer the prince.

"Prince Maddox, I've heard that you're an admirer of the arts. Any particular art form," she asked, smiling flirtatiously, "Because as an actress I like to consider myself a... _connoisseur_ of the field."

"Well, I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I do have a certain taste for the humanities," he said returning the smile. Maurie, Maddox had learned, was rather forward in her flirtations, but it wasn't sultry or quiet. She was a bright personality and bubbly sort of girl, and Maddox appreciated the openness.

"You're an actress? So am I," Dorthea said from across the table. Maurie gave a tight smile. "I work in tv," she replied.

"Oh, wow! I work in live theater mostly, but my mom was film actress when she was younger, so I know a little bit about that part of the business."

"Well they are very different," Maurie said in a honeyed voice, turning back to Maddox, "You might have seen my show: _Clarisse._ I play Clarisse's best friend, Monica, but it's still a gripping role-"

"Oh, that's where I've seen you from," Dorthea spoke up again, this time completely interrupting Maurie, whose eyes were practically bulging from their sockets, "I thought that I recognized you!"

"Yes. And would I recognize you from anywhere?" Maurie's voice had gotten tighter. Maddox looked between the two girls apprehensively. This was not going to end well.

"Well, Annie Slater- you know, the concept creator for your tv show-"

"Yes, I know who Annie is," snapped Maurie.

"Yeah, well, I was just cast as the lead in her new play, _Josephine._ It's being produced by the Royal Ilean Theater Company, so maybe when the Selection is over you'll come see-"

"I don't know about that," Maurie seethed, "I might be busy with _other responsibilities_ once the Selection is over."

"Or your calendar might be _completely_ free," Idra said softly, a smirk curling on her full lips.

"I'm sorry, were you in this conversation?" Maurie's head snapped to Isra, who lazily ran a hand back through her wild black curls. And just as swiftly as it had appeared, Maurie's scowl fell. She turned back to Maddox, whose face had gone blank. His eyes swept the table, which had collapsed into awkward silence. Basa looked severely uncomfortable, like she didn't know how to deal with this kind of drama. Dorthea's eyebrows had jumped, but something in her face said she wasn't entirely surprised by the outburst. Both Leona and Colette were looked like they wanted to say something encouraging - diffuse the tension a bit - but Isra beat them to it.

"My apologies, I had no intention of offending you," Isra's silken voice carried through the silence, "I only meant that you might want to take a brief vacation after the Selection- win or lose. Although, I think that I can safely call this the finest vacation that _I've_ ever taken. Anyone else?" She smiled - a smile sweet and as prickly as a rose - and the girls began to nod, agreeing with her and entering into a conversation about recent trips, and palace amenities.

Maddox sighed, no longer paying attention to Maurie's further attempts to apologize or rekindle any sort of flirtation. Instead, he asked Leona what her favorite place to travel was, and grinned when she responded, "Paris," and recited her reason for doing so.

"My best friend and I both grew up in a hospital," she said softly, her earnest demeanor never faltering, "I don't know if it said on my form or file or whatever, but I was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, so I was in the hospital a lot as a kid. Callista had Leukemia, so she kinda just got it- the whole sick child thing. But we both always knew that we wanted to travel and that we wanted to do it together. Paris was number one on my list, and we both said that when we were ready, we'd go... but she died about 3 years ago, right after I got a heart transplant. So, I went there and scattered her ashes in the streets." Leona tore her eyes away from Maddox, clearing her throat and said, "I'm so so sorry! I don't know why I'm telling you this, I mean we just met-"  
"Hey hey hey," Maddox said consolingly, "Don't apologize! I think… well I think that's beautiful. Callista sounds amazing, and there's no better place to travel than Paris."

"Thank you," Leona said, her cheery smile returning.

"You know, I've always wanted to see Paris," Maurie spoke up, but Maddox kept his back securely locked against her, and listened intently as Isra shared tales of her escapades in Egypt.

"My father was a paternal member of the Nimr tribe on the Sinai Peninsula. We have a long, rich history of Egyptian ancestry and archeological prominence, so it was only natural that I follow in my family's footsteps. I might even go so far as to call myself a… _connoisseur of the field._ " Her eyes briefly flitted to Maurie, who huffed in her seat and didn't speak again for the rest of brunch.

* * *

The rest of the meal passed without anymore drama, at least at Maddox's table. Eden was seated with both Ladies Carolyn and Athena, the girl of few words and the girl of too many. Her time was made livable by the presence of Ladies Evolet, James, and Marguerite, all of whom seemed to hit it off immediately. Evolet, a former ballerina turned (legitimate) art connoisseur, was listening intently as James - or "Jamie" as she prefered to be called - detailed a short film that she had directed for her college's film festival.

"It won best film," she said proudly, "which is really rare for a psychological horror. I mean, there's always _Silence of the Lambs,_ but when you have Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, the odds are basically rigged."

At Brennan's table, interviews were being conducted in fashionably intimidating manner. Three girls had been already been caught disapprovingly eyeing her ripped jeans and tutu dress, and had immediately been discounted as contenders. Thus far, only 2 girls had succeeded in winning her coveted approval: Lady Sakura and Lady Inanna.

"So, which crystal is, like an aphrodisiac," Brennan asked Inanna curiously. The other girls rolled their eyes subtly, all while pretending to be just as intrigued as the Princess.

"Well, there is no real aphrodisiac, but Rose Quartz is known as the Love and Peace stimulator. It's chakra is the heart, and it really just brings deep inner healing within yourself, and in relationships." Inanna's words were soft, but demeanor was classy and elegant. Brennan and Sakura were basically hypnotized.

" _Wow,"_ Sakura murmured, " _I need some of that shit."_

Vivien was holding her own little princess tea party with Ladies Catherine, Celia, Isolde, Harper, and Valentina, who had shrunk into herself after discovering that Vivien was not going to be as welcoming as Maddox and Sebastian. Vivien herself felt awkward around the dancing Doll, and couldn't help blushing every time she and Valentina accidentally found themselves reaching for the same thing or entering into the same conversation. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

Sebastian and Apollo were enjoying themselves immensely. The Donovan Scion couldn't help charmed by unlikely repertoire between the sprite-like Odette and fierce environmentalist Spencer, who had formed a most intriguing pair. Apollo was talking up model Jae Kang - as much one could _talk up_ Jae - but had to divide his attention between her and the quiet Zsofia Dunkeld who, despite her introverted manner, was quiet pleasant when engaged in a one-on-one.

When all the girls seemed to be finishing up with their plates, Maddox caught the attention of his sister and gestured for her to gather everyone up. Colette joked that he should be careful, and that their secret hand signals might be construed as a conspiracy theory, and he chuckled before leaving the table. In the sitting room adjacent, the group convened.

"Ladies Magnolia, Caroline, Aurora, and Tara," Brennan said right off the bat. Maddox cocked an eyebrow. "Really? Aurora? She seemed fine-"

"She asked me if I was aware that the dress code was dressy casual, and didn't respond when I said that I was, in fact, wearing a dress." The princess gave Maddox a look that said, "Don't test me on this, because I will _not_ allow you to marry her." He sighed and conceded.

"Alright, anyone else? What other girls need to leave?"  
Eden suggested Athena, Carolyn, and Kiersten, all of which Maddox agreed to. Kiersten wasn't all that interesting. Vivien had a hard time picking who at her table wasn't worthy, but eventually picked out Harper, who hadn't really engaged with the other girls all that much. Sure, she wasn't there to make friends, but someone with poor social skills, Vivien decided, shouldn't be in the running to become Queen. Sebastian and Apollo only condemned one girl each. All the girls at their tables were fairly good-looking, they decided. Finally, Maddox said that Maurie would have to leave, and they all left the room to go announce it to the girls.

 _11 down,_ Maddox thought, _25 to go._

* * *

 _ **Welcome back!**_

 _ **Thank you to all who reviewed or PMed me after the last chapter- I'm so glad that y'all are still interested!**_

 _ **This chapter was so much fun to write because I LOOOVE all the girls submitted. Naturally, I wanted to premier all of them, but unfortunately only a few could have the spotlight. Still, I think I did ok, right?**_

 _ **So, the next chapter will be out next Friday, but in the meantime, who are your favorites? Who sticks out the most to you? I'm kind of intrigued to know.**_

 _ **Once again, thank you for your support with the story, and everyone who congratulated me on college. It means a lot, and I will see you soon!  
XOXOXO**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

 _I'll sing you the story of a sorrowful lad_

 _He had everything he wanted_

 _Didn't want what he had_

 _He had wealth and pelf and fame and name and all of that noise_

 _But he didn't have none of those_

 _Simple Joys_

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Ilea**_

 _ **Tuesday, October 14 ; 10:08 am**_

"Eleven girls? _Eleven girls_ , Maddox? What did they do, son, was their curtsey too shallow? Did they bat their eyelashes too much? Because I simply cannot _fathom_ what _eleven girls_ could have done within the 2 whole hours that you spent together to merit being spent home."

The King, to say the least, wasn't pleased.

Maddox knew from the very beginning that this would be the case. He knew that he would soon find himself in this very office, sitting in this very chair, his mother and father cornering him, as they so often had in the past 20 years or so. He hadn't, however, surmised who else would be in there with him.

"Maybe they were all shady bitches, you don't know," Sully said from the window. He appeared to be just as uncomfortable with the situation as Maddox, and had chosen to position himself as far away from the prince as mahogany walls allowed. Donatella seemed to be taking a similar strategy, sitting behind Maddox on the chaise lounge as far from her family, and as close to the wine, as possible. Maddox scowled.

"Neither do you!"

 _You shady bitch,_ Maddox thought.

"I'm just trying to help you here, Maddy-"

"Don't you _dare_ call me that!"

"Will you two just cool it, for TWO GODDAMN MINUTES," the King bellowed, shocking Maddox and causing Sully to squirm. Donatella sunk deeper into her seat, though her cheeks blaised red with frustration. Sully was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry, Maddox." Both father and son looked up and Sully rolled his eyes. "Junior," he finished.

The King swiped a hand down his face and looked at his son through slotted fingers. Maddox looked right back. Tension rose as the silence dragged on, but Donatella was the first to break it.

"I think that you need to go on a date," she said. All eyes turned to her.

"A date," repeated her husband. He said it as if he were testing the word- trying it on his tongue.

"Yes, a date," Dona said irritably, "Remember dates, Mad? We used to go on them during _your_ Selection."

"Dona's right," said Sully before the King could retaliate, "We can't get the girls back, so all we can do is move forward, and what better way to do that than a public date."

"Woah woah woah, _public?"_ Maddox began to inch forward in his seat.

"Agreed," said the King, "Even though eleven girls are gone, the people need to see he's still looking." Turning to Maddox, he said, "You will go on at least one date everyday until the Halloween Ball - and once a week, they must be public. Until then, no more eliminations."

" _What?"_

"You heard me!" The King was standing now, Sully behind him on his right. If Maddox had looked close enough, he would have been able to see Sully's pursed lips and downturned eyes, but he didn't. He just saw the man, and he _hated him._ Maddox growled.

" _Fine._ A date. I was gonna do that anyway."

"A _public_ date," the King reminded him. Maddox closed his eyes and gave a curt nod.

"Fine. But I get to pick the girl," he said, definitely.

"Well that goes without saying," Sully said, laughing lighty. He tried to cover it with a cough when Maddox's stone cold gaze turned to him. Maddox sighed and stood from his chair. Bowing extravagantly, he announced to the room, "I shall take my leave, if it pleases his Majesty."

"Don't be a little shi-"

"Just go, Maddy," Dona ordered, and Maddox left, slamming the door like preteen having a tantrum.

The King sighed and spun around to face Sully. Shrugging his overcoat off, he reached to take Sully's face into his hands. Sully slapped them down, eyes flicking to something behind the King. Maddox I turned to face his wife, who looked positively gobsmacked by the display in front of her. Sully, for his part, was equally as stunned by the King behavior, but Maddox slouched as if her presence was merely a bore.

"Sorry, Dona, I forgot you were still there."

"Clearly," she said distantly, and with that, she whipped around and followed her son out the door. Sully groaned - a long, whiny groan that annoyed the bejeezus out of Maddox Sr. - and crossed in front of the desk

"You're hopeless," he said without pause. His lover gawked and attempted to stop him, but Sully left the room without another word, leaving the King all alone.

* * *

Maddox wandered the halls for around 20 minutes before finally making the decision to enter the Women's Room. It was a section of the palace he was not unfamiliar with, being that a majority of his friends and family were female, and they all seemed to congregate in this room on a regular basis. He didn't know why. To him, the Women's Room looked just about as peaceful and/or entertaining as any other room in the palace (i.e. NOT). It mostly consisted of a various lounges, bookshelves, a piano, and a single buffet table by the balcony that was always manned by some butler or other. The balconies themselves were overflowing with plantlife, a fireplace nestled in the corner with dozens of throw pillows strewn about liberally. It was a cozy place - a particularly luxurious place. But exceedingly boring for Maddox.

When he entered, the air in the room thinned. There were _so many girls._

One girl he recognized as Lady Zsofia was playing the piano while Ladies Jae, Rose, and Ayleania watched. Lady Evolet was explaining the history and appeal of the Keeping Up With the Kole Klan - a trash tv spinoff of the ancient tv show Keeping Up with the Kardashians - to a disgusted James, while Marguerite simply laughed at the exchange between the two. For some reason, the ladies at his own table had sort of ganged up, and were all laughing on the balcony at some story that Dorthea was telling. There were so many girls in so many groups, and while he found them all to be lovely human beings, he took no joy in dating all of them _at the same time._

Sure, he had gotten rid of eleven, but that still meant that there were 25 left! Twenty-five! He had to date 25 girls, and he was going into this room completely clueless as to which he would pick and how he was supposed to get out of there alive. Thankfully, he had an ally. Or two.

"Maddy! Over here!" The prince gave a sigh of relief and strode over to his sister, purposefully avoiding the 25 curious pairs of eyes trailing him. She was standing by the wet bar while Sakura mixed some sort of coffee drink together. Inanna was also with them, but already had her beverage and was setting it down gently as Maddox approached. She was dressed casually in an royal blue and gold slacks and a tight black tank top, similar to Sakura, who was dressed alluringly in snake skin pants and a low cut red silk tank top that dipped just below her cleavage. Inanna's gaze made him somewhat uncomfortable, as it never wavered and was just as serene as their first meeting. When he met her eyes she smiled, and his heart fluttered.

"Why hello, Your Highness," Sakura said cheekily, pouring Brennan's drink into a glass, "Can I offer you a drink?"

"It's 10 am, Lady Sakura," he replied, raising an eyebrow. Sakura laughed, as did her companions.

"It's coffee, Maddy," Brennan pointed out, sipping hers.

"Yeah, it's coffee, _Maddy,"_ Sakura repeated. Maddox rolled his eyes, but felt a swell in his chest at the use of this nickname.

"Iced coffee with lavender and honey," clarified Inanna, who seemed to have taken pity on the poor prince, "Sakura is teaching us how to make it. It's kinda good actually- although I'm _really_ more of a tea person."

"One of her few faults," Brennan joked, nudging the dark haired girl, "So do you want one?"

"Oh, he can just have mine," Inanna said, "I'm not gonna finish it anyway." She picked it up and handed it to him. Instinctively, his hand shot out to take it, but when it did, their fingers met, and for some reason - a reason completely beyond his realm of comprehension - he found himself asking, "Inanna, would you like to go on a date with me today?"

All the surrounding ladies appeared stunned. The room wasn't silent, but he could tell that people were watching them and trying to listen in. Sakura's eyes widened and Brennan made a poor attempt at covering her smile.

"Of course," said Inanna softly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks, "I'd love to."

Maddox's grin widened and he put the iced lavender and honey coffee down. "Great! Let's go!" He offered her his hand.

"Wait, what?"

"I said let's go."

"No, I know that's what you- well, never mind." She laughed, amused by the whole situation. It was the first time Maddox had ever heard her laugh. He liked it. "Let's just go," she said, and she took his hand.

"Have fun you two," Sakura said after them, sipping at the coffee Inanna had left behind.

"Get her back by 10pm or you'll be sorry, Mr." Brennan called. Maddox laughed as he and Inanna left the Women's Room, eyes and whispers still following them as they went. Beside him, he felt Inanna wrap her other arm around his and her fingers fasten more securely to his hand. Her head held high, she never once paused under the scrutiny of her fellow Selection Ladies.

"So, Your Highness, where are might we be going on this impromptu date," Inanna asked, tilting her chin so she could look up at him.

"First of all, my name is Maddox. You can call me Maddox. And second," he paused, cracking his neck, "I have absolutely no idea." Inanna's smile only shone brighter.

"Well, Maddox, I feel like this is going to be an adventure for us both."

* * *

It was an adventure- or at least the journey there was. Maddox thought that it would be too immature of him to _ask_ what she might like to do, and instead took it upon himself to direct the driver to about 10 different locations, before deciding that each one of them just wasn't right.

The museum was too boring, the restaurant too cliche. They weren't dressed for a hike, and hot air ballooning just seemed far too ambitious for the first date. It was only after the ideas of the state fair and horseback riding, that he arrived at his notion of _the boardwalk._

During the extensive car ride, Inanna seemed to become more flirtatious with her conversation, making fun of him each time he changed his mind and made the driver turn around. She also became a lot more physical with him- not in the inappropriate sense, but every now and then, he'd feel her thumb rub across the back of his hand, or she'd lean her head on his shoulder to laugh. All of this made Maddox's mind and heart race a couple trillion beats per minute and he had to keep telling himself, " _You are Maddox Schreave. You are not a prepubescent boy. You are the Crown Prince of Ilea. She is here to win_ your _heart. Not the other way around."_

But still, he couldn't stop his heart from leaping when he saw the smile on her face as the car ran up alongside the boardwalk.

"It looks like a fair… or a circus." Her kohl shaded eyes were wide with wonder as she took in the spectacle of flashing color that was the Angeles Boardwalk. Tents and Shacks were set up along each side with some facing the sea and some along the railing. Men and Women roamed the wooden pathway as vendors in striped ensembles advertised popcorn, candy, hotdogs - you name it. A few rides were scattered here and there, but the main attraction, an enormous ferris wheel with a few missing bulbs, flashed red and yellow above the crowd with enough pizzazz to induce a seizure. But Inanna…. She loved it.

"So," he said, guiding her by hand out of the car, "What would you like to do first? I mean we have all day." They began walking towards the boardwalk, and as they did, heads turned to whisper and gawk. A cameras flashed, but they weren't mobbed. Apparently, the two hulking gentleman tailing them from only a few feet away discouraged such behavior. Maddox sashayed along as if nothing were wrong, and Inanna, to her credit, followed suit. In fact, when a photographer got a bit too close, she flashed him a smile.

"I don't know. We've gotten this far- let's just see where the day takes us," she said, squeezing his hand and dragging him down the walkway. Maddox chuckled and went willingly.

The day took them to just about every stall and rigged game that the Boardwalk had to offer. Inanna ran from jewelry stall to jerewely stall, gasping each and every time she found some new shiny piece. The vendors were just tickled pink by the attention the Lady was paying to them, and each attempted to flatter Maddox when she found a piece that she really liked, expecting him to pay a speck of gold for it. Inanna never asked, though, and Maddox never offered. He liked Inanna, but it was far to early in their relationship to go buying fake jewelry.

 _Relationship,_ he thought, _When did the Selection become a relationship…_

He was, however, tempted to buy her a crystal from one of the voodoo stalls that they found. Her wide-eyed, wondrous gaze was something to behold as she cradled a handful of rounded Amethyst.

"They're pretty," Maddox said dumbly as she rolled the stones in her hands. Inanna grinned - an ironic grin that said 'you silly silly boy"- and Maddox cried, "What? It's a pretty stone!"

"It's more than just _pretty,_ " she explained softly, taking his hand and placing the rock tenderly into it, "It's the embodiment of spirituality. Contentment. It bestows clarity, strength, stability. This stone," she smiled and closed his fingers over the stone, "is inner peace."

Their eyes locked and there was no heat, no tension. He didn't feel the urge to tear his gaze away and cough awkwardly. Though his heart was racing, he felt no need to calm it, and it wasn't the stone that was doing that. He cocked his mouth into a smirk and said, "So do you feel that? Inner Peace? Contentment?"  
Inanna exhaled and he felt her finger tighten around his, "I'm not sure you can ever achieve true inner peace. But right now, in this moment, I feel content." Maddox's grin widened.

"Well I dearly hope you're not blaming that on the goddamn stone," he said. Inanna raised an eyebrow and replaced the stone, ignoring Maddox's indignant protests.

They didn't buy the Amethyst. Maddox offered, but Inanna said that she already had one that she brought from home. He wasn't surprised. In fact, he suspected that the girl had an entire collection sitting in her bedroom - a suspicion which she confirmed soon after.

For a while the couple just walked around, stopping and playing games when the interest arose, but mostly they just talked. When the afternoon light began to fade, Maddox bought them both chocolate ice cream cones and they found a picnic table on the beach to rest for a while. Maddox sat on the table top while Inanna settled in between his knees, her back to him. For some reason, this seemed more intimate than any lame excuse he could make up for putting his arm around her.

"So... a museum tour guide, huh," Maddox murmured as Inanna faintly licked her ice cream, "I knew there was something I didn't like about you." Inanna leaned her head back to raise an eyebrow at his remark and he broke into a reluctant grin.

"Let me guess: You were that guy in the back on a class field trip that would just shout "PENIS" whenever you saw an ancient greek statue." She whipped her head back and took a haughty lick of her ice cream as Maddox chuckled.

"Hate to disappoint, gorgeous, but no. No I wasn't."

"No?" Inanna scooted around to face him. Maddox shook his head.  
"No. I happen to be the product of _7 different_ private tutors who each took me to the museum _alone,_ thank you very much. No group. Just me, my tutor, and the pretty tour guide." He smirked as Inanna let out a reluctant giggle. Her inky black hair blew back behind her shoulders and gave Maddox full view of the intricate flower tattoo carved into her shoulder. Her entire sleeve was like a tapestry, woven with midnight ink, and he unconsciously let his fingers graze the outline.

"What about you," he continued, ignoring the way she shrugged his hand off her shoulder, "Doubtless you were the know-it-all at the front of the group trying to prove you knew more than the tour guide herself. Always raising her hand," he mimicked a young Inanna raising his hand and pitching his voice two octaves higher. Her body quacked with laughter and Maddox soon found himself joining her.

After a while, however, they both quieted, and Inanna leaned hr head on Maddox's knee while he licked his ice cream. He wanted to touch her hair. It was right in front of him, a few wisps blowing in the wind as she continued to lick her ice cream. In the waning light it looked like a shadow.

But no. It was their first date. God help him if he started to caress her hair.

"Do you want to swim," he asked out of nowhere, jerking his mind out of less innocent thoughts than caressing her hair. She didn't even turn around.

"Ummm no," she said.

"Why not?"

"What do you mean why not," she asked finally turning around, "It's almost dark."

"So?"

" _So,"_ she laughed sardonically, "It's dark and cold and probably too dangerous and… and… and I don't have my bathing suit!" She shook her head as if it were obvious. Maddox chuckled and gave her a sly grin.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of skinny dipping," he said. Instead of being offended, though, she rolled her eyes.  
"Now I _know_ you're joking," she replied. He shrugged and hopped down off the bench and took her hand, practically dragging her down to the beach.

"HEY!" Inanna struggled, but Maddox gave her a hard tug and swept her into his arms. She shrieked as he began running, beating at his chest and struggling to get down.

"PUT ME DOWN," she screamed.

"What? I'm not taking your clothes off!" Maddox kicked off his shoes, and shook hers off as they neared the water. The rolling tide swept across his feet and receded gently, the sand slipping out from beneath his toes as the water drew it back in. It felt divine, and Maddox was reminded how much he missed the Angels coast. Inanna, however, did not appreciate it.

"Maddox! No- seriously!" He kicked water up into the air, the sea now touching his calves, and she shrieked as it showered down onto them. Maddox laughed and spun her around, and after a while, she began to as well.

"See? This isn't so bad," he said, "And you didn't even have to take your clothes off."  
"No, it's not that," she replied, allowing herself to be settled back onto her feet, water now brushing her ankles, "I just don't really like the ocean and large bodies of water and anything that is deeper than the 5 foot section at my local pool…"  
Now he felt stupid. Maddox tried to apologize, but before he could, Inanna swept an enormous wave of salty water and doused him. His clothing plastered against his skin, and drops from his hair slid into his eyes. Inanna howled with laughter.

" _You-you were saying,"_ she gasped, still giggling. Maddox swiped water out of his eyes and looked at her up through his eyelashes. She dark haired girl squealed as he shot his arm out and grasped her around the waist.

"Yeah, I was just saying how _dearly_ I wanted to give my date a hug," he said, squeezing her to him. She hit his shoulders as he spun her around, but eventually her head fell back in delight, and Maddox felt a swell of exhilaration as her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his torso.

" _Got you_ ," she whispered, and just like that, she leaned back and they both fell off balance into the waves.

When they both came up for air, their hair was smothered in front of their eyes, and their clothing becoming more and more translucent by the minute. Thankfully, the sun had almost completely sunken beneath the horizon, and Maddox couldn't see Inanna's lacy black bra peeking out around her tank top. Her arms were still wrapped around her neck, and his had found their way around her waist.

He wanted to kiss her. It was the fifth time that day. The first time was at the crystal vendor, when she was detailing the health benefits of amethyst crystals. The second time was during lunch when she got some of her fish taco in her hair and was flipping her hair all around trying to find where it was. The third was when she began toying around with the silks at the fabric booth and spun around in a fake dress she made for herself. The fourth was when she beat him in skeeball and used her tickets to get a plastic bead bracelet that said "stay cool" in curvy pink letters and put it around her ankle.

This time was different, though. Her face was approximately 4 inches from his face. Their hands were in all the correct places, and with their clothing plastered to their bodies, no one could blame him for closing the distance.

But something stopped him. Maybe it was the fact that his father had originally forced him to go on this date. Maybe it was the fact that this was exactly what his father _wanted._ Maybe it was the fact that there were 24 other girls waiting patiently in his home for this _exact_ opportunity. Maybe it was the fact that he was dating all of them at once. Whatever the reason, it made him pause, and even when her big, brown, khol shaded eyes practically begged him to do it, he still resisted and pulled her up from the water. Her chest seemed to deflate just as soon as his did, but her gaze never dropped.

"It's freezing," she said softly, "Think it's time to head back?"

 _Kiss her. Kiss her. Kiss her. Kiss h-_

"Yeah. Yeah I think so," he said, and putting his arm around her shoulder, he led her back up the beach and along the boardwalk to where the driver was waiting with the car.

* * *

 _ **Angeles, Ilea**_

 _ **Tuesday, October 14 ; 10:15 pm**_

"So you didn't kiss her," Brennan reiterated after forcing Maddox to retell the story about five times, "Not even a goodnight kiss?"

" _No,"_ repeated Maddox through his hands. He was sprawled out across his bed while Brennan, Vivien, and Sebastian all crowded around. Eden and Apollo were off to dinner with their mother, and Maddox was frankly relieved, because something told him that now would not be the best time to tell this story to Eden. With the way she was acting lately, he didn't know how she'd take it.

"I think that it's sweet," Vivien said softly, sitting down next to Maddox on the bed, "And perfectly logical! You're dating so many different women right now, so it's probably best not to get carried away with the first one you take out. I'm sure Inanna's fantastic, but there are 25 other girls here who could be equally as fantastic!"  
"Or not," murmured Brennan. Vivien shushed the princess as Maddox sat up.

"Maddox you are dating twenty-five different, beautiful women," Sebastian argued, toying with his drink on the longue chair across the room, "Viv's got a point, but you gotta think about it this way: You are cheating on 25 women. And they all know about it. And they're ok with it! _And_ they're all competing for your attention. So really, kissing this gorgeous, half-naked, middle-eastern woman-"

"She was wet, not half naked."

"Oh, _I'm sure she was_ ," Sebastian suggested with an evil glint in his eye, "But that's besides the point. This girl is flirting with you all day, in a competition to win your hand in marriage, and you have five perfect opportunities to kiss her, and you don't?"

When he put it that way, Maddox did feel a little foolish. Vivien scowled- a rare sight.

"Don't be dick-wad, Sebastian," she scolded, raising the eyebrows of everyone in the room, "Did you ever think that _maybe_ these girls are just as emotionally invested in this as Maddox? Maybe even more so? I mean, they're competing - _competing_ \- for a crown _and_ a marriage. I don't know about you, but to some people, that's a little daunting."  
"They're just dating!"  
"They're _playing._ Some of them might even be scared that Maddox is playing _them_."

That caused Sebastian to pause and Maddox's heart to squeeze. Sebastian groaned and threw his drink back. Maddox glanced his way, and when their eyes met, the prince sighed and said, "Ok. That's enough. I get what you're saying, Viv."

Vivien gave a stiff shrug and got up from her seat on the bed. Brennan rolled her eyes as the lady passed and took her place.

"I still think you should have kissed her," the princess whispered to Maddox as Sebastian followed Vivien out of the room. Maddox chuckled and wrapped his arm around his sister. She snuggled into his shoulder and opened her phone as her brother's mind began to wander.

At some point the prince wanted to kiss Inanna. The day's course had brought many opportune moments for such an event, but Maddox felt that he wanted his first kiss with one of the girls to be special. Planned. He had never been the sentimental type- his home life hadn't really allowed it. Live in the moment. That was his go-to proverb.

Still… the selection didn't feel like a moment. It felt like a brand new story, and a first kiss felt like one of those pivotal moments in a story that ought to be exceptional… noteworthy… something to be commemorated. Something to write about.

It would happen soon with one of the girls. Perhaps it would be Inanna or Sakura or Colette or Zbierre or Isra or Leona or any one of the other 25 girls in his queue. But at some point or another, it would happen, and he would make sure it was like his own little fairytale.

* * *

 _ **Ok, so it's a little later than I said, but does it help to say that it's because I was working on the next one?**_

 _ **So, first things first: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE AMAZING REVIEWS! Every time someone reviewed my heart just swelled like that one scene in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I fucking loved it. So, thank you, and I promise, this story will be worth it.**_

 _ **Second, yes, I changed the number of girls eliminated (and edited the previous chapters for continuity) in order to accept a few more girls. I thought 25 sounded like a good number, and I wanted to give people who were just now reading the story a chance to submit. I was gone for a while so it felt almost like I was starting over.**_

 _ **Anyway, NOW submissions are closed, and that's that. People who have reserve spots and haven't yet subimtted a character - I'd really like them in by next week. Otherwise, I don't want to be that bitch, but I'll just close your spot. I just need a definite set of girls, and I need it soon, or else I don't know what I'm doing.**_

 _ **ALSO (last note) there will be sooo many new girls in the next chapter. I know I've kind of just showcased the same ones, but it felt easier in this particular chapter to do that.**_

 _ **Ok! So uhhh that's about it. The next chapter is almost done, but I'm just gonna give myself a little extra time and say that it'll be out Sunday. Thank you! And goodnight.**_


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